The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Warri Wolves

  • Wolves, Rangers to agree on Mba

    Wolves, Rangers to agree on Mba

    The Nigeria Football Federation has asked Warri Wolves and Rangers to agree on the ownership of African Nations Cup star, Sunday Mba.

    Both Nigeria Professional Football League clubs claim the 24-year-old Nigeria international, who shone at the recent AFCON in South Africa, belongs to them, MTNFootball.com reports.

    After two days of deliberations, the Sanusi Mohammed-led committee charged both clubs to find a meeting point.

    “We have asked both clubs to go and resolve the issues surrounding the ownership of the player,” Sanusi said.

    “We have given them until next week to reach a gentleman agreement, but if they fail to sort it out the federation would make a pronouncement.”

    Rangers spokesman Foster Chime while confirming the directive of the NFF, noted, “Our lawyers and those of Warri Wolves are already meeting to find the best ways to resolve the issue.”

    Last week, the Nigeria league ruled that Mba belongs to Warri Wolves, but the player himself has declared he is a Rangers player when he was presented to the media at a brief ceremony in Enugu along with other Rangers new signings.

     

  • Wolves want ‘free lunch’ from Mba – Kujah

    Wolves want ‘free lunch’ from Mba – Kujah

    Football agent Friday Kujah has said Warri Wolves has no claim on African Nations Cup star, Sunday Mba.

    He insisted that the club wants “a free lunch” off the player.

    A verdict on who owns Mba between Enugu Rangers and Warri Wolves was not announced on Wednesday by the Nigeria Football Federation, but officials said a decision will be taken later Thursday.

    Nwankwo aka “Soccer Ambassador” told MTNFootball.com after Wednesday’s sitting on the stormy transfer case: “Warri Wolves is looking for free lunch, the club officials should be on their knees and beg for this. And the player has said no,” blasted Kujah.

    “Is it his fault that Nigerians do not know how to run their clubs? We should educate these people how to move a player. If a player wants to go, you cannot stop him.

    “We will go to FIFA if need be.”

    Rangers case on the Mba saga is being argued by one of the country’s foremost lawyers, Femi Falana.

    “We wasted the funds of two states, Delta and Enugu States, to come here (to Abuja on the transfer matter), when it is clear that without any iota of doubt that Sunday Mba is a Warri Wolves player,” said Amanju Pinnick.

    “He has been at Wolves for over 24 months, earning salaries and sign-on fees. He was not on loan (from Dolphin). The document is there that he is a Warri Wolves player and Rangers officials did not argue with the document.

    “Provisional (clearance) in Nigeria context is as a good as permanent (transfer).”

     

  • Rangers, Warri Wolves fight over AFCON hero Mba

    Rangers, Warri Wolves fight over AFCON hero Mba

    Enugu Rangers officials have declared that African Nations Cup hero Sunday Mba is their bonafide player contrary to the claims by Warri Wolves, where he last played.

    Mba, who shone at the AFCON in South Africa and even scored the championship winner in the final against Burkina Faso, is bound for an overseas club soon, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Warri Wolves officials have maintained that Mba is their player, but Rangers has now come out to dismiss such a claim.

    Enugu state Football Association boss Chidi Ofor Okenwa said Mba has always been a player of Rangers as he was sent on loan to Dolphin in the first instance.

    “We don’t have to start joining issues with Warri Wolves on who owns Sunday Mba. Any contractual agreement of a player is with the state FA, and that is Delta state FA. Like when Mba joined Rangers from Enyimba, he was duly registered in Enugu FA and his papers are still on my table,” said Okenwa.

    “Even his loan deal to Dolphin, it was duly documented.”

    “Warri Wolves officials are crying wolf. We don’t have any business with them because Mba is a registered player of Rangers. He joined us from Enyimba, then we loaned him to Dolphin, who in turn loaned him to Warri Wolves without our consent,” added Rangers media officer Foster Chime.

    “We don’t have to start joining issues with Wolves, who had started crying wolf as the club name goes.

    “Mba is our player. A player has the right to say where he wants to play and Mba has come out to say he wants to play in Rangers.

    “Rangers even gave him transport fare to Abuja to team up with Eagles before they left for Faro. He was training with us. His Honda Accord is parked in our Enugu camp and I know he will be glad to team up with Chibuzor Okonkwo, his childhood friend from Jos,” Chime added.

  • Warri Wolves slam €1m on Mba

    Warri Wolves slam €1m on Mba

    Nigerian top flight side, Warri Wolves, is willing to sell African Nations Cup hero, Sunday Mba only for the sum of €1 million (around N210 million), Supersport.com reports.

    Wolves had also included a 20 percent sell-on clause in any future deal for the Super Eagles striker.

    The 24-year-old striker, who scored the winning goal at the 2013 AFCON final against Burkina Faso earlier this month, has already been linked with Bayer Leverkusen, Dinamo Zagreb and OB Odense.

    “The transfer fee for Sunday Mba has soared right now. The club is very willing to cash in on him at the moment as he was a key player for Nigeria at the Nations Cup.

    “Also there are a number of clubs in Europe seeking to sign him following his superb display at the Nations Cup against Cote d’Ivoire in the quarterfinal and Burkina Faso in the final. The (Warri Wolves) club chairman is insistent on doing business for the player but for nothing less than the asking fee of €1 million,” a club official informed supersport.com.

    The striker was close to sealing a move to rivals, Enugu Rangers but that switch now looks dead.

    Mba has made 10 appearances for the Super Eagles and has scored five goals.

     

  • NFF, Warri Wolves mourn Joe Ighile

    THE Nigeria camp at the 29th Africa Cup of Nations in Johannesburg, South Africa was badly jolted on Saturday morning when news filtered in that ace broadcast journalist Joseph Ighile had died in Lagos.

    Ighile, a member of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, was in South Africa for the group stage campaign of the Super Eagles. He was presenting his sports programme on CHANNELS television on Friday evening when he reportedly slumped and died before anxious colleagues could get him to hospital.

    NFF President Aminu Maigari was taken aback when the sad news was broken to him. “Oh, my God! What happened to him? How did it happen?

    “Joe (Ighile) interviewed me and I saw him doing his work quietly but diligently during the group stage in Nelspruit. A good man has gone. May his gentle soul rest in peace.”

    in same vein, The Management of Warri Wolves Football Club has joined the entire sports family in mourning the untimely death of Igbile.