Nigerian Football

Rivers To Douse MFM’s Flames

Published

7 years ago

March 22, 2017

BY SAMMY WEJINYA.

Players and officials of Rivers United FC return to domestic competition after the heart-rending disappointment of failure in the CAF Champions League.

United was outclassed in Sudan last Saturday by Al-Merreikh in the second leg of their first round tie in Omdurman.

Many expected the Pride of Rivers to progress to the group stage of the competition especially after they recorded a majestic 3-0 victory in the first leg in Port Harcourt but a humbling 4-0 reverse brought Eguma Stanley’s men down to earth.

The beautiful thing about football is that the games come thick and fast and vanquished sides usually have a quick chance to gun for redemption in rapid fashion.

United have that opportunity for a reprieve on Wednesday but anything other than a five-star performance in their rescheduled Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) game against MFM is likely to end in tears as the Lagos club currently represents one of the most exciting propositions in the division.

In Sikiri Olatunbosun and Chukwuka Onuwa, the hosts possess magicians who can unlock any defence in the land with piercing passes of exquisite quality.

Stephen Odey is the name on everybody’s lips; the attacker has netted an extraordinary 10 goals in 13 matches.

The young attacker is the first player to notch up double figures this term and is responsible for 56% percent of all of his side’s goals in the NPFL (18) this season.

Leaving him in acres of space in the final third of the pitch is tantamount to sitting on a keg of gun powder and United’s defenders know he will need no second invitation to leave pain and gnashing of teeth in his wake.

Odey’s goals have come mostly through the same supply channel, Olatunbosun, who has provided assists for four of Odey’s goals this season which represents the best player-to-player combination for goals this term.

Odey spoke to the official Rivers United website on his purple patch and rich vein of form insisting he will keep his feet firmly on the ground.

“I never believed I would have scored as many as 10 goals this season but I prepared well for the season and got good advice from my elder brother, John.

“We will not tale about what we (MFM) want to achieve now until the end of the season,” Odey told www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.

Rivers United’s troops are crest-fallen following the unfortunate expedition to Omdurman at the weekend and need a quick response to reassure the teeming faithful of the Pride of Rivers.

Chief coach of United, Willy Udube says defeat is clearly not on the cards from the perspective of the Port Harcourt club.

“We have to get something in Lagos as a result of our position on the table,” he said. United currently occupies 17th spot on the NPFL standings with 14 points from 10 matches while MFM is in second place on the log with 24 points from 13 matches.

Nigerian Football

GTI enlarges coast…spreads from League fund-raising to Federation Cup

Published

2 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Strategic partners of the Nigeria Football Federation, GTI Asset Management and Trust Ltd has expanded their scope of operations from fund sourcing for the Nigeria Premier League to adding the responsibility of getting the national cup competition back into its glamorous days.

The MD of the company, Abubakar Lawal at the unveiling a revamped Federation Cup which has been renamed President Federation Cup remarked that his company decided to take a bold step to support the national cup.

“I am the happiest man today, he said in the opening remark of the rebranding of the national cup through signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Sports and the NFF.

“Our company is also strategically involved in ensuring that the President Federation Cup is given necessary attention to thrive using The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF) as our vehicle to actualise this dream.

“Therefore, it is our vision that the oldest domestic football event becomes one of the best organised football events in the world in no distant future.”

Nigerian Football

Ikenne’s Beyond Limit Football Academy top goal chart as NNL releases vital statistics

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The secretariat of the Nigeria National League has released the match statistics of the four conferences of the 2024 season.

With 198 matches so far played in Conferences A and B, 426 goals were scored, with 125 home wins and 26 away wins, representing 63.1%, & 26% respectively. There were 47 draw matches, representing 23.7% of matches. 299 home goals were scored, and 127 home goals.

Beyond Limit FC scored the highest goals of 33 goals, with Stormers FC and Ekiti United conceeding the least goals of 28 goals. Tradesafe and Solution FC scored the least numbers of goals of 11 goals and Osun conceded the least numbers of goals of 8.

In group C & D, 209 goals have been scored in the 106 so far played, with 70 home wins and 14 won away representing 66. 3% and 13.1% respectively.

Teams drew 31 matches representing 29.2% of the matches played. Wikki Tourists scored the highest numbers of goals, with 23 goals, while EFCC FC conceded the least numbers of goals. They conceded 18 goals. Nasarawa United’s 8 goals conceded made them the team that conceded the lowest numbers of goals, while ABS scored the least number of goals of 5 goals.

Nigerian Football

Heartland back to their homeland as they host Shooting Stars

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY TOSIN OMOJOLA, OWERRI

The uncertainty surrounding our Matchday 31 encounter against Heartland FC of Owerri, has been cleared with the game eventually slated to hold at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, the home ground of the host team

The Nigeria Premier League has given the approval to the stadium after an inspection was carried out on Wednesday afternoon.

The Oluyole Warriors have since arrived the Imo State capital and have settled down ahead of Friday’s clash which will be be shown live on cable television.

Meanwhile, the Technical Adviser of the Ibadan soccer lords, Gbenga Ogunbote, while addressing the players on arrival at their hotel, urged them not to be distracted by the development.

“I want to apologise to you on the change of venue. We got to know about it some hours ago, but be that as it may, I want us to remain focused as and get the desired results we needed”.

In the same vein, the players of the Ibadan soccer lords, said they are not in any way moved by the change of venue, expressing their readiness to get the maximum points, not minding the venue.