Nigerian Football
AITEO CUP: BIG TEAMS EYE ROUND OF 32 SPOTS
Following the conclusion of the Super 6 that finally brought the curtain down on the Nigeria Professional Football League season, all the attention is now on the national finals of the AITEO Cup 2019 which remaining matches of the Round of 64 come up this weekend.
Enyimba FC, the ‘People’s Elephant’ are up against Kano Pillars Feeders at the Kwara Sports Complex in Ilorin on Sunday, but on Saturday, Cup holders Rangers International of Enugu and Niger Tornadoes Feeders clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan and Rivers United will cross swords with Timber Loaders in Lafia.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu is the venue for the clash between Abia Warriors and Heartland Comets, while Yobe Desert Stars face Ambassador FC in Bauchi and Lokoja Township Stadium welcomes Gombe United and FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders.
Katsina United and Gwandu United will battle things out in Gusau; Jigawa Golden Stars and Insurance FC are up in arms at the Bako Kontagora Stadium, Minna and; Damaturu will bubble for Wikki Tourists of Bauchi and Setraco United.
On Sunday, last year’s finalists Kano Pillars have a session with Aspire FC at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja and same day, El-Kanemi Warriors will file out against Police of Osogbo at the Lafia Township Stadium.
AITEO CUP MEN’S ROUND OF 64 REMAINING FIXTURES
- Rangers Int’l Vs Tornadoes Feeders (Ibadan, 15 June, 4pm)
- Kebbi United Vs Lobi Stars (Kaduna, 15 June, 4pm)
- Abia Warriors Vs Heartland Comets (Enugu, 15 June, 4pm)
- Ambassador FC Vs Yobe Desert Stars (Bauchi, 15 June, 4pm)
- Rivers United Vs FC Timber Loader (Lafia, 15 June, 4pm)
- Sokoto United Vs Akwa United (Abuja Goal Project, 15 June, 2pm)
- Walli Flamingoes Vs Delta Force (Abuja Goal Project, 15 June, 4pm)
- Gombe United Vs FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders (Lokoja, 15 June, 4pm)
- Niger Tornadoes Vs Fasbir FC (Birnin Kebbi, 15 June, 4pm)
- Enyimba FC Vs Kano Pillars Feeders (Ilorin, 16 June, 4pm)
- Gwandu United Vs Katsina United (Gusau, 15 June, 4pm)
- Jigawa Golden Stars Vs Insurance FC (Minna, 15 June, 4pm)
- Police Osogbo Vs El-Kanemi Warriors (Lafia, 16 June, 4pm)
- Setraco United Vs Plateau United (Makurdi, 15 June, 4pm)
- Wikki Tourists Vs Qatar FC (Damaturu, 15 June, 4pm)
- Layin Zomo FC Vs Sunshine Stars (Lokoja, 16 June, 4pm)
- Katsina United Feeders Vs Nasarawa United (Kaduna, 16 June, 4pm)
- Kwara United Vs Ben Ayade FC (Neros Nanka, 15 June, 4pm)
- Aspire FC Vs Kano Pillars (Abuja Goal Project, 16 June, 4pm)
AITEO CUP MEN’S ROUND OF 64 RESULTS
- Gateway United 1 Almar FC 0
- Warri Wolves 2 Doma United 1
- Cynosure 2 Mighty Jets 2 (Cynosure win 5-4 after penalties)
- Yobe Desert Feeders 0 Smart City 1
- Osun United 0 Shooting Stars 1
- Ekiti United 4 Ebonyi United 0
- Spartans 0 Port Harcourt City 1
- Kogi United 3 Akure City 3 (Kogi United win 3-0 after penalties)
- Amanda FC 1 Calabar Rovers 2
- FC De-Leo 1 EFCC 1 (EFCC win 5-4 after penalties)
- Aklosendi FC 3 Zabgai FC 1
- Crown FC 3 Bayelsa United Feeders 0
- Adamawa Heroes 0 ABS FC 7
AITEO CUP WOMEN’S ROUND OF 16 TEAMS
- Rivers Angels
- Adamawa Queens
- Nasarawa Amazons
- Sunshine Queens
- Ibom Angels
- Delta Queens
- Confluence Queens
- FC Robo
- Osun Babes
- Vera Gold Angels
- Bayelsa Queens
- Pelcian Stars
- Edo Queens
- Olori Babes
- Fortress Ladies
- Abia Angels
RESULTS
- Capital City Dove 0 FC Robo 5
- Osun Babes 3 Linda Ayade FC 0 (W/O)
- Police Machine 2 Vera Gold Angels 3
- Solo Wonders 0 Bayelsa Queens 8
- Crystal Academy 1 Pelican Stars 2
- Edo Queens 20 YEF Queens 0
- Olori Babes 3 Moje Babes 2
- Young Talents 99 0 Fortress Ladies 0 (Fortress Ladies win 4-3 after penalties)
- Kaduna Queens 1 Abia Angels 3
Nigerian Football
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria

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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Nigerian Football
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu

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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Nigerian Football
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United

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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