Nigerian Football
Asamoah turns the corner at Rivers United
Godbless Asamoah is an attacker who knows his way to goal.
During his days at Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt, he almost single-handedly saved the side from relegation in his first season with crucial goals on a consistent basis.
It was no surprise that the Rivers United technical manager, Stanley Eguma, his coach at Dolphins, saddled him with the responsibility of leading the line for the ‘Pride of Rivers’ in the NPFL and Federation Cup last season.
It was a poor season for the Ghanaian marksman as he failed to hit the heights for the Port Harcourt club.
Injuries slowed him down and he was restricted to a handful of substitute appearances last term.
Eguma did not lose faith in the striker and gave him another chance to prove his worth this season.
He made his first league start of the season on Wednesday, February 22 and showed he had lost none of his sharpness with a cracking goal on the stroke of half time against Kano Pillars at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium.
It was a goal of exceptional quality and the moment the ball left his foot, it was clear it was destined for the top corner, as the Pillars goalkeeper, Danladi Isah watched on in consternation.
It was however a sad day for the attacker and his teammates as United dropped points following Amos Gyang’s stunning headed equalizer for the visitors in the second half.
“I was very happy to have scored that goal. I have a good goal scoring record against Pillars.
“In my first season at Dolphins, I scored three times against them home and away.
“Before the game in Port Harcourt last Wednesday, I prayed to God to give me the grace to score against them and when I did, I was very happy,” he said to www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
Lofty dreams and big predictions
From his days at Ghanaian side, Medeama Sporting club, Asamoah had a dream to pull the storied strips of the Black Stars of Ghana.
Playing for the country of his birth at the Africa Cup of Nations and the Fifa World Cup is a dream the attacker believes can still be achieved.
“On several occasions, I was invited by the national selectors for the country’s U17 and U20 teams but I never made the final squads.
“In 2014, I finally got the chance to represent my country at international level.
“I was invited to play at the 2014 Africa Nations Championships (Chan) in South Africa but I got injured on the eve of the tournament.
“I cried so much because I honestly felt that was the moment to make my mark at the big stage.
“I travelled with the team to South Africa and stayed on till the end of the tournament but my place was taken by Kennedy Boateng; my teammate at Medeama Sports club,” he recounted.
The Champions League and Rivers United
Asamoah has rediscovered his best form and believes it is only a matter of time before he achieves set objectives.
He believes that success with Rivers United will translate to even bigger rewards in the long term and has predictably set his sights quite high.
“I am still hopeful of playing for my country (Ghana) at the highest stage and I believe it is still possible.
“Rivers United is a big club playing in the Caf Champions League and I believe that if I continue to do well here (at United), I will get the call to represent my country.
“I may have scored just once in the league but I am still very confident of finishing the current NPFL season as top scorer because Rivers United still has 31 more matches to play,” he said.
To achieve this, he must first win a regular spot in the United first team – a side teeming with extravagant attacking talent like Bolaji Sakin, Bernard Ovoke, Emeka Ogbugh, Lukman Mohammed, Guy Kuemian and Maduabuchi Okereke.
Asamoah however has implicit confidence in his abilities and insists he can keep his place in the star-studded squad.
“Everybody knows Rivers United has one of the strongest squads in Nigeria today but I have no fear over getting a regular spot in the team.
“The competition is intense, no doubt but I am certain that if I am fit, I will get a fair chance to prove myself,” he said.
Story: Courtesy Sammy Wejinya
The Nigeria U17 women’s team has been given incentives to make it to the Women’s World Cup for the eighth time.
The team, Flamingos, who arrived in Algiers in the early hours of Wednesday aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul, are highly inspired by the imminence of another FIFA World Cup ticket as well as further financial windfall from the Nigeria Football Federation and billionaire business mogul Kunle Soname.
Soname gifted the young players and their officials the sum of N4 million (one million naira for every goal) following their commanding win over the North Africans at the Remo Stars Stadium on Saturday, while the NFF gave out the sum of N2 million (five hundred thousand naira for every goal).
President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau and Soname have both confirmed that the same financial incentives are in place for the second leg in Blida on Friday.
“Our objective is clear – to win the FIFA World Cup ticket. That is the big motivation.
“Yet, we have been further incentivised by the monetary rewards. My girls will go all out on Friday night,” Head Coach Bankole Olowookere said.
Olowookere, who led the Flamingos to their last two World Cup ventures, will most likely rely on first-leg two-goal heroine Queen Joseph, lone-goal scorer Zainab Raji and Kaosarat Olanrewaju to start at the fore, with Shakirat Moshood, Muinat Rotimi and Philomena Isaiah supplying the passes from the midfield.
Goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma and defenders Azeezat Oduntan, Hannah Ibrahim, Christiana Sunday and Jumai Adebayo are also likely to start.
The Confederation of African Football has selected Cameroonian official Marie Noelle Etong to be the referee, with her compatriots Marcelle Teikeu and Innocentia Ntangti as assistant referee 1 and fourth official, respectively, while Chadian Ngarassoum Victorine will be assistant referee 2.
Oumou Souleymane Kane from Mauritania will be the commissioner, and Sabelo Maphosa-Sibindi from Zimbabwe will be in the role of referee assessor.
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Former president of the initially 15-member West African Football Union (WAFU), Chief Jonathan Boytie Ogufere, has expressed his heartfelt condolences over the recent death of former national team captain and coach, Christian ‘Chairman’ Chukwu.
He remarked that the erstwhile Enugu Rangers’ defence stalwart will ‘be dearly missed’. In a personally signed letter of condolence, Ogufere described Chukwu, who died on Saturday, April 12, in Enugu after a brief illness at 74, as a ‘hero of our time and a friend’.
The nonagenarian recalled with nostalgia how he nearly recruited the young Chukwu for his P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu, adding he was impressed with how the ‘Field Marshal Christian Chukwuemeka ‘Chairman ‘ Chukwu (MFR), conducted himself throughout his career as he led both the national team, the then Green Eagles and his beloved Enugu Rangers to many conquests.
“I join numerous others to mourn the transition of the legendary Christian Chukwu, a hero of our time and friend,” the Ugbugba of Okpe Kingdom wrote.
“As one of the young academicals discovered after the end of the Civil War in 1970, I tried to enlist into my club, the P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu but he was fair and frank in informing me that he had already joined Enugu Ranges Football Club, and I respected that attitude. From the rivalries between the two clubs, his exploits as a central defender were very visible.”
He continued: “Christian Chukwu emerged at the national level as a trustworthy and formidable captain of the national team who led by example.
“He was one of the heroes during the Golden age of Nigerian football when I was one of the Board Members of the Nigeria Football Association under the chairmanship of Chief Sunday Dankaro as Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980 for the first time where Christian Chukwu as captain of the Green Eagles was declared the best player of the tournament. He led the national team in several battles, which endeared him to millions of football lovers.
“After his playing days, he showed his talents through coaching in Nigeria and abroad.
“I express my sincere condolences to the family he left behind, the football family and the country in general. He will be dearly missed.
“May the good Lord grant his noble soul eternal rest,” he noted.
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Remo Stars are coasting to what will be their greatest moment ever, a win of the Nigeria Premier Football League title, as they recorded a 1-0 win over Shooting Stars in Ibadan in a match played behind closed doors.
In doing so, they achieved their sixth double of the season, having earlier beaten Shooting Stars in the first stanza of the league.
They maintained the seven-point lead over second-placed Rivers United, who also beat Sunshine Stars 1-0 in Port Harcourt.
After a ding-dong affair, Alex Oyowah scored the vital goal for Remo Stars from a right-wing cross from Ismail Sodiq.
In another match, Ikorodu City continued to work tenaciously to obtain a continental ticket as they held El Kanemi to a 1-1 draw.
SUNDAY RESULTS
- El Kanemi 1-1 Ikorodu City
- Niger Tornados 1-1 Bayelsa United
- Heartland 0-0 Kwara United
- Plateau United 1-0 Akwa United
- Rivers United 1-0 Sunshine Stars
- Shooting Stars 0-1 Remo Stars
- Bendel United 1-1 Nasarawa United
SATURDAY
- Katsina United 0-0 Abia Warriors
- Enyimba 2-1 Kano Pillars
- Lobi Stars 2-4 Enugu Rangers
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