Tag: Warri Wolves

About N3.5 million meant for the payment of salaries and other outstanding arrears of players of Delta state-owned Warri Wolves Football Club was reportedly snatched at gun-point by suspected robbers in the Warri metropolis last week Friday.

SportingLife gathered that the incident occurred when the club officials were returning from a new generation bank. It was further learnt that the three-man gang closed in on the vehicle the officials were driving in and collected part of the amount.

According to sources, team’s manager, identified as Gordon, and the team’s media officer, Azuka Chiamaka were attacked around Enerhen Motel, along Enerhen Road, Uvwie council area of Delta state.

“It happened close to Enerhen Motel, after Azuka and Gordons had left the bank opposite Urhobo College. The three-man gang were putting on military face caps. Warri Wolves officials collected N6m and N3.5m was kept in one bag, the other bag had 2.5m kept inside Azuka’s tyre space in his car booth, the robbers only collected the 3.5m they saw thinking that was all”, a source said.

When reached for comments on the development, the General Mnager of the club, Moses Etu, said he would not make a comment, saying ”talk to my media officer I beg, I won’t grant any interview, talk to my media officer”. When asked for his media officer’s number, he said, ”look for him, I don’t have his number, I’m in a meeting”.

Spokesman of the team, Azuka Chiamaka, when reached for comments, asked SportingLife to call him back in about an hour from when he was called, as he was in a Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria’s (SWAN) meeting. His number was dead when a call was put across about one and a half hours later.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the state’s Police command, Celestina Kalu (SP), when reached for confirmation of the incident, said the command was investigating the matter.

Warri Wolves winger Kelvin Itoya believes his team can still beat the drop despite missing a golden chance to move away from the relegation zone in the barren draw with Enyimba on Wednesday.

The Seasiders dominated the rescheduled Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 31 clash at the Warri City Stadium but were unable to find the back of the net.

Wolves next face Nasarawa United in their 33rd match of the league season and Itoya says the Seasiders won’t go down at the end of the campaign.

“We are still in the race to survive and our chances of retaining our league status is very bright,” Itoya told Goal.

“The team played so well against Enyimba but we weren’t lucky. We aren’t giving up yet.

“Wolves isn’t a club that chicken out just like that.

“Our next match assignment will see us welcome Nasarawa United to Warri, so we hope to get three points and see how things unfold.”

Owing to the excruciating hardship pervading the camp of Warri Wolves, the players  have threatened to boycott next week Wednesday’s match with Enyimba of Aba.

Some of the players lamented that the state government has shown indifference to their welfare, lamenting that for the past five months, the state government had not paid them their salaries while about six match bonuses have remained unpaid.

The players stressed that the state government owe them 100 % sign-on fees from last season and all appeals to make the government, through the Delta State Sports Commission to effect payment have fallen on deaf hears.

“We may be forced to boycott league matches beginning from next wednesday against Enyimba and the Shooting Stars’ game should the state government continues to pay lip service to our welfare. Majority of us now resort to borrowing to meet our financial demands and all appeals to the state government, through the chairman of ther commission, Anthony Okowa, who is a brother to the governor, have been unsuccessful,” they lamented.

However, the General Manager, Moses Etu, has appealed to the players to show understanding, assuring that the chairman of the commission is working to ensure their backlog of salaries and match bonuses are released before the weekend.

Warri Wolves right full back, Jite Eghor has attributed their 1-1 draw in Lagos to MFM to ill-luck but revealed to SportingLife that he was certain that the Seasiders will remain in th elite division at the end of the season.

Wolves missed several scoring chances including two sitters but they still drew the first blood in the 56th minute before the Olukoya Boys drew level in the 82nd minute through Isah Akor.

Jite who made his league debut for Warri Wolves during yesterday’s game and gave a good account of himself told SportingLife that he won’t rest on his oars as he strives to get more playing times before the end of the season.

“We were unlucky to draw because we did everything possible to seal maximum points. We missed even open net which showed that we dominated the game. We won’t go on relegation by God’s grace,” Jite told SportingLife.

Wolves now have 38 points from 30 matches.

Mansur Abdullahi wants Warri Wolves to treat every game with all seriousness as the Nigeria Professional Football League winds down.

Just three points above Shooting Stars who are in the relegation  zone, the Seasiders could find themselves in trouble if they fail to defeat Akwa United on Saturday.

“You’ll probably ask me the same question the next week and the week after and the week after,” Mansur told Goal.

“From now until the end of the season, all those questions will get answered and I’m just hoping that the boys are not afraid of it.

“I’ve seen a vast improvement in the approach of the boys. I think we’re more resolute, I think we’re harder working. We’ve toughened ourselves up.

“But we’ve still got miles to go. If anyone wants to sit here and think they’re guaranteed a first-team place then they’ll find themselves sitting beside me or in the stand.

“That’s how you have to be if you want to be a successful club. You have to have that depth within your squad, everyone capable of coming into that first team. I think that we’re starting to get towards that.”

Warri Wolves have threatened to drag Kano Pillars before the League

Management Company (LMC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for

holding onto their player King Osanga in Kano without their knowledge.

The Seasiders have told the player to report back to Warri since the mid-season transfer is over and that they are willing to welcome him back like the prodigal son.

The General Manager of the club, Moses Etu in a chat with SportingLife noted that Osanga had turned deaf ears to their pleas and has been with Pillars  for the past one month.

He said the club is prepared to report the matter to the LMC and the NFF if Osanga fails to return to Warri before this weekend.

“Pillars have kept Osanga away for over one month and nobody from the club has called us to inform us about their mission for the player. This is unprofessional and we are ready to take the matter before the LMC and the NFF if he doesn’t return to us by the weekend. We are willing to take him back like the prodigal son if he comes back to us since the mid season transfer is over,” a miffed Etu told SportingLife.

SportingLife tried to speak with officials of Pillars on the matter but it wasn’t possible.

•Set to face former club today

Former Nigeria Premier league highest goalscorer, Jude Aneke is expected to make his dream debut for Plateau United today against Warri Wolves, his last known club in the NPFL before his botched moveto Egyptian side, Al Masry in 2013.

Aneke scored 20 goals while playing for Kaduna United during the 2011/2012 season to break the 18 goal mark of Ahmed Musa then of Kano Pillars and it was on the premise of this he switched to the Seasiders during the 2012/2013 season.

The Enugu born footballer signed for Plateau United last month from the Egyptian club and he is expected to slug it out with Kabiru Umar, Anayo Oboabona and Daddy Francis who also joined the team during the mid season transfer in the race for strikers to be used in Warri by head coach, Zachary Baraje.

Meanwhile, Plateau United media officer, Albert Dakup has exuded  optimism that the Jos side won’t go on relegation at the end of the season stressing that the quality of players signed by the team during the mid season transfer would help the club realise their  ambition.

Dakup disclosed that Plateau United have welcomed back the return of Benin Republic international, Salomon Junior who missed the club’slast two matches to his involvement with the Squirrels in 2017 AFCON qualifier and that the defender is also on the trip to Warri for the weekend tie.