Connect with us

Nigerian Football

A battle of the Alex (es): Iwobi Faces Stiff Challenge, as Arsenal Signs Lacazette

Published

on

BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.

 

Arsenal forward and CAF 2016 young player of the year, Alex Iwobi of Nigeria might face stiff challenges in the new season that opens next month due to the signing of €52.7million Alexandre Lacazette from Olympique Lyonnaise.

Sports Village Square gathered from Arsenal TV that team manager, Arsene Wenger said that the signing of Lacazette would bring the best out of his club attackers.

Wenger however made it known that it will be difficult for an uninformed player who hasn’t been a regular to make his attacking list in the forthcoming season.

Advertisement

That remark is unlikely to favour the Super Eagles’ player who only featured mostly during the first stanza of previous season.

Iwobi was however not in training at their training base at London Colney as at Tuesday as he had been given extra days off because he was on international duties immediately after last season.

The 21-year old has started thinking about next season already as he took to his instagram  account to share a photo of him in the new Arsenal shirt.

The club whose aim is to build strong attack around new signing Lacazette will throw options open for the coach among the likes of Iwobi, Alexis Sanchez, Oliver Gerioud, Danny Welbeck, Metsut Ozil, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and host of others as Arsenal set for Australia on Thursday on pre season tour.

The team will then travel to China where they will face Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Advertisement

Their annual Emirate Cup will be next before their season’s opener against Chelsea on Sunday, August 6 in the community Shield.

 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Nigerian Football

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nigerian Football

Heartland back to their homeland as they host Shooting Stars

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Continue Reading

Nigerian Football

Remo Stars add fuel to the fire as title chase turns East – West battle

Published

on

Added time-goal specialists, Remo Stars pulled off one of their now familiar traits, chalking up a valuable point as Skipper Nduka Junior scored in the 90+4 minute to scuttle an impending victory by Doma United on Wednesday evening.

When all-hope seemed over, Remo Stars had scored hope-reviving goals as they did against Lobi Stars, Insurance and a host of others in the Nigeria Premier League.

Getting a valuable point take them from fifth position to fourth their haul to 50, just a point below that of second and third placed Enyimba and Lobi Stars respectively.

The 1-1 scoreline also changed the complexion of the league table as their South West rivals were pushed down from their initial fourth position.

As it is, the struggle for the title is taking regional colouration as the top two- Enugu Rangers and Enyimba are from the South East while fourth and fifth – Remo Stars and Shooting Stars are from the South West.

Advertisement

Lobi Stars from the middle belt, stand in-between the South East and South West in the power struggle.

 Remo Stars at the fourth position however still have an outstanding home game against Rivers United and that could still change the positions of the top six teams when the match is played.

Attention will now shift to match-day 31 as the league embarks on its home stretch.

 On Friday, relegation-bound Heartland will be hosting rejuvenated Shooting Stars who have suddenly discovered they could return to continental competition next seasons after 25 years.

They have lately been having unbeaten runs. On Saturday, Kwara United will host desperate Akwa United who are struggling to avoid dropping into the lower league.

Advertisement

On the same day, Abia Warriors will be at home against Bayelsa United.

  On Sunday seven matches are on the card. They are:

Kano Pillars v. Gombe United

Katsina United v. Sporting Lagos

Lobi Stars v. Bendel Insurance

Advertisement

Niger Tornadoes v Doma United

Plateau United v. Remo Stars

Rivers United v. Enugu Rangers

Sunshine Stars v. Enyimba

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Most Viewed