Nigerian Football
Redemption time for Rivers Angels in potentially thrilling tie with Mamelodi Sundowns
Nigeria’s Rivers Angels have an opportunity to make amends for their opening defeat when they face South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, this Tuesday evening.
Nigeria and South Africa are rivals in women’s football. In this encounter, it is advantage Mamelodi Sundowns, the women’s team of CAF President, Patrice Motsepe. Their opening match win put them in vantage position to aim for a place in the semifinals.
The Group B Matchday 2 of the CAF Women’s Champions League will be a thriller to watch, knowing both sides quality and hopes.
An unexpected 3-0 defeat to Morocco’s ASFAR in their opening fixture meant Rivers Angels, who came to Cairo with great hopes, are in a tough situation where they need nothing but a win in their second group game.
Rivers Angels arrived barely 24 hours before their opening game and are expected to be in a better shape when they take on COSAFA Champions Sundowns on Tuesday.
Rivers Angels’ coach, Edwin Okon makes travel-weary as excuse for humiliating defeat
While Mamelodi Sundowns are looking for a second victory in the ongoing CAF Women’s league, the Nigerian coach is still reeling tales of travel fatigue as escuse of Rivers Angels’ defeat on Saturday.
“The team is tired from all the traveling issues and that’s the normal result. My job is to pick up their spirit,” Edwin Okon told CAF website.
For the South African champions, one more win will do it to the final four. Massandawana scored early through Melinda Kgadete and held on to take maximum points against Vihiga Queens.
Sundowns missed numerous scoring chances in their opening game, an aspect coach Agnes Nkosi will try to deal with before their second match.
His assistance, Agnes Nkosi spoke in similar vein. “It’s good for us to have the three points to get the confidence the players need for future matches. We could’ve changed the result if we’d converted our chances into goals, but this is what we’ll work on.”
On the match at hand, Okon knows there is no room for further excuses.
“I think the team has rested now, and we will give it our best”
“It doesn’t matter if we watched Mamelodi Sundowns play or not, games change and we just only have to do our maximum efforts”.
His player, Maryann Ezenagu also knows there will be no excuse for another loss. “We don’t want to recall last match; every player can make mistakes. Every team is good, therefore they are all here with us”.
In spite of Nigerian excuses, South Africa’s coach remains focus. “The loss did not affect us, because we know our capabilities and what we can do. And we can win this game”.
Speaking further, Tshabalala remarked: “The game is probably the biggest game; we know Rivers Angels are strong, but we see an open way for three points”.
“They will use space on the wings, they are a strong team, but we will fight to win the game”.
“We are happy they finally arrived; we cannot be deceived by their first match. They can play a very better football”.
“ASFAR played a very good game against Rivers Angels, their forward Sanaa Massoudy was very good. But our toughest game now is tomorrow, that’s what we need to focus on”.
Mamelodi Sundowns Midfielder, Nonhlanhla Mthandi looks optimistically towards the clash with Rivers Angels.
“It was very important for us to win our first game. The coach told us to put all of our hearts in the games. We wanted to achieve a higher score, but it was a difficult game”.
“We keep our ball down as we know they are very strong, so we’ll play our own football to beat them”.
Nigerian Football
Like what happened to Stores earlier, another Lagos club thrown out of the Nigerian League
Another Lagos club, 1472 FC, has been thrown out of Nigeria’s second-tier league, the Nigeria National League, for failure to honour three matches in the current season.
Crowd-pulling Stationery Stores suffered a similar fate 32 years ago when they were expelled from the Nigeria Professional League.
In a press release on Tuesday, the NFF announced that 1472 FC did not honour three matches during the current season.
The matches were against Abia Comets (Match 9), Dakkada FC (Match 53) and Ijele FC (Match 74).
The NNL relied on the league’s Article 14.11 to expel the club.
In the letter signed by the NNL’s Chief Operating Officer, Danlami Alanana, 1472 FC are also fined the sum of N5 million, with the consequence that the results of all their played matches have been nullified, and those yet to be played are cancelled.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has extolled the commitment and determination of Remo Stars Foot ball Club on its victory over Niger Tornadoes, describing it as unprecedented feat in the annals of Ogun State.
It would be recalled that the local football team won the first-ever Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title with a 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes on Sunday, April 27.
In so doing, they become the first team in the state to win the Nigerian elite division league since the state was created on 3 February 1976.
Before the current feat, no team from the state had won the national league. The famous Abiola Babes, the rave of the 1980s, won the Challenge Cup in 1985 and 1987.
Governor Abiodun, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, said the team has sustained the inherent first capacity Ogun State is known for, adding that their resilience and perseverance have paid off.
Governor Abiodun added that Remo Stars has consistently pushed for the best with enviable patriotic tendencies since its formation.
He said the level of the team’s dexterity and capacity earned it the 2024-2025 Nigerian Premier Football League title as well as it’s promotion to the elite league four years ago.
The Governor, therefore, implored other local clubs in Nigeria to emulate the degree of resilience and doggedness the team displayed to help in promoting Nigeria’s local league to enviable heights.
“It is my utmost delight that the age-long perseverance and consistency of the Remo Stars Football team have eventually paid off at the national level and to the admiration of every Nigerian, including our amiable President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“As the first privately-owned NPFL champions since 1996, which ceremoniously secured a place in the CAF Champions League, we commend the undiluted and unwavering determination of the players, the coaching formation, and the entire management.
“This is indeed a clear reflection of the profound trait of Ogun State as the first in all areas of success and our all-inclusive policy of transformation as enshrined in our ISEYA mantra,” the statement read.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The historic feat of Remo Stars, who won their maiden Nigerian Premier League title on the birthday occasion of the club owner, has attracted the attention of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement posted on the State House X handle and signed by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Tinubu congratulated Remo Stars Football Club.
He remarked that winning the 2024-2025 Nigerian Premier Football League title is a milestone achievement that spotlights Ikenne and Ogun State.
President Tinubu describes the historic victory, four years after the team’s promotion to the elite league, as a testament to the hard work, discipline, and unyielding spirit of the players, the coaching crew and the management.
He admires the team’s resilience and perseverance, noting their courage in pursuing success despite three previous near misses in the race for the league title.
He hopes their example will inspire other Nigerian clubs to pursue their dreams continuously with tenacity and optimism.
He also commends the vision and commitment of the club’s owner and chairman, Kunle Soname.
His investment in grassroots football—exemplified by the construction of the state-of-the-art stadium in Ikenne—has provided a vital foundation for the growth of sports in Nigeria.
As Nigeria’s champions, Remo Stars have become Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF Champions League. President Tinubu urges the team to deploy the same undaunted spirit and focus to win continental honours.
He calls on football fans across Nigeria to rally behind the team as they carry the nation’s hopes onto the African stage.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- Nigerian Football5 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- OBITUARY1 week ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- Nigerian Football5 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu
- feature1 week ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Badminton5 days ago
It’s Nigeria again as Eniola Bolaji wins the 2024 Africa Women in Badminton Award
- CAF Champions League5 days ago
Al Ahly, Sundowns brace for Cairo showdown with final spot on the line