Nigerian Football
Brave Ikeme! Ailing Nigerian Goalkeeper Braces Up For New Life
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.
Carl Ikeme, the Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nigeria’s first choice goalkeeper has thanked everyone for the kind affections showered on him after he was last week diagnosed with acute leukaemia. At 6.36pm Nigerian time on Sunday, he posted on his tweeter account: “Thank you all for your kindness and love. The start of a new chapter and ready to give it my all! Thank you all”.
Sports Village Square observed that the message within hours had received 7, 5757,575 retweets and 27, 85627,856 likes.
He also took to his instagram page to appreciate the overflowing love shown to him across the globe. He wrote: “Just wanted to say thanks for all the messages that I have received since being diagnosed with leukaemia this week.
“The support that has been shown by everyone has taken me back and been hard to look at without shading a tears. I know this is going to be a tough time now but I’m going to give it 100% as I always do! Thank you.” Ikeme wrote.
Ikeme who made his national team debut in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania two years ago has received well wishes messages from Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, the NFF as a unit, former U-17 national team goal stopper, Dele Alampasu among others.
Nigerian Football
Remo Stars add fuel to the fire as title chase turns East – West battle
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.
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.
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
Niger Tornadoes v Doma United
Plateau United v. Remo Stars
Rivers United v. Enugu Rangers
Sunshine Stars v. Enyimba
Nigerian Football
Rangers tenaciously hold on at Nigeria League top position
Enugu Rangers are holding on firmly at the top of the Nigeria Premier League after getting a hard 3-2 victory over visiting Abia Warriors.
The win consolidated their top position as the 2016 Nigerian champions now have 54 points, three points ahead their oriental brothers, Enyimba who are currently second on the log.
But the keen battle this season sees Lobi Stars who lost 2-0 to a rejuvenated Shooting Stars in Ibadan.
The victory has seen the Shooting Stars climbing up steadily and now placing fourth on the log. But their fellow western rivals may bounce back into reckoning and could leapfrog into second position if they obtain full points in their away duel on Wednesday with Doma United.
Just as the battle at the top is tough, so also it is at the backwaters. Probably Gombe United are the first confirmed for relegation. Heartland, Akwa United, Rivers United and borderline candidate, Sunshine Stars are in fierce battle.
Rivers United however still have six outstanding matches and could still leapfrog into safety zone. But Akwa United continued to their struggle to swim out of the relegation zone as they hammered Niger Tornadoes 4-1.
Tuesday results
Shooting Stars 2-0 Lobi Stars
Sporting Lagos 1-0 Sunshine Stars
Rivers United 3-1 Plateau United
Gombe United 1-2 Kwara United
Enyimba 1-0 Heartland
Enugu Rangers 3-2 Abia Warriors
Bendel Insurance 2-1 Kano Pillars
Bayelsa United 1-1 Katsina United
Akwa United 4-1 Niger United
Wednesday Fixture
Doma United v Remo Stars
Nigerian Football
Manu Garba, U17 World Cup winner, returns as Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach
The Board of Nigeria Football Federation has appointed former U17 World Cup winner Manu Garba as Head Coach of the Nigeria U17 boys, Golden Eaglets.
Garba had, in the same role, led the Golden Eaglets to win the FIFA U17 World Cup for Nigeria in the United Arab Emirates in 2013 – Nigeria’s fourth triumph at that stage.
Garba’s world-conquering squad in 2013 included Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Musa Mohammed, Chidiebere Nwakali and goalkeeper Dele Alampasu.
The squad, which finished as runners-up at the African U17 Championship in Morocco after a penalty shootout defeat by Cote d’Ivoire, defeated Mexico 6-1 in their opening game, drew 3-3 with Sweden and hammered Iraq 5-0. In the Round of 16, they ran Iran ragged 4-1, dispatched Uruguay 2-0 in the quarter-finals and trounced Sweden 3-0 in the semi-finals, before they dislodged Mexico by the same margin in the final to lift the trophy.
The former Nigeria international will now immediately resume the role and take charge of the team’s preparations for next month’s WAFU B U17 Championship, taking place in Ghana.
-
International Football1 week ago
Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony
-
Olympics1 week ago
Zambia women dramatically join Nigeria in winning Olympic spots
-
Athletics6 days ago
A clash of two citizens as Tobi Amusan and Ofili compete in US tourney today
-
Nigerian Football1 week ago
Bendel Insurance backbone is broken!
-
Nigerian Football1 week ago
Shooting Stars rally from behind to clinch a rare victory in Kano
-
Premier League1 week ago
Computers say Arsenal won’t win title, on the pitch they look like champions in waiting
-
UEFA Champions League6 days ago
Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta humiliate Liverpool at home
-
World Cup5 days ago
Floored twice in two months, South Africa tremble ahead of treble with Nigeria