Nigerian Football
Against invading Abia Warriors, Remo Stars optimistic of another win
Remo Stars of Ikenne square off against Abia Warriors this Thursday evening hoping to regain the Nigeria Professional Football League top spot which Rivers United are currently occupying.
The newcomers to the elite league have remained unbeaten so far.While they head into the contest at the Remo Stars Stadium to contest for the top position, Abia Warriors with eight points are currently eighth on the log.
Their last match away from home against Wikki Tourists has shown the quality of the side jostling to go continental next season.
Mercurial midfielder, Dayo Ojo put the Sky Blue Stars ahead with a beautiful strike after he connected well to a pass from Andy Okpe, before Abdullahi Oyedele doubled the lead from close range to give Remo Stars a chance in that encounter but Salisu Adama pushed to reduce the deficit for the Giant Elephants.
Having picked maximum points on the road against Wikki Tourists over the weekend, the Remo Stars will hope to continue their unbeaten record.
Abia Warriors on the other hand got their maximum points through Innocent Gabriel who put them ahead in the ninth minute of the encounter against Heartland FC.
Both sides last meeting was in 2017 when the Sky Blue Stars put a stop to their the Warriors’ eight matches unbeaten record through Victor Mbaoma from the penalty spot in the 90th minute at the Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu, Ogun State.
In the reverse fixture, Remo Stars stood their ground at the Umuahia Township Stadium in Umuahia to share the spoils and the ended 0-0 between both sides.
The visitors will hope to keep faith in some of their veterans like Anthony Okemiri who assisted Innocent Gabriel in their last game, experienced players such as Odah Okemute, Cletus Emotan and Godwin Obaje are also expected to be handful for the hosts.
Remo Stars’ Coach, Gbenga Ogunbote will continue to keep faith in Dayo Ojo, Stanley Okorom, Abdullahi Oyedele, Andy Okpe and safe hands Kayode Bankole as they hope to hold firm to top spot.
Morgan Agbeko is still the only injured player for Remo Stars, and he is hopeful to reunite with the squad in few weeks.
A win for host will extend the unbeaten streak to seven matches in a row, the first of its kind for the Sky Blue Stars in the Nigeria Professional Football League.
Meanwhile, Remo Stars goalkeeper, Kayode Bankole has indicated his side will not be complacent and carried away with their bright start to the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
He was instrumental to Remo Stars as they claimed total match points on the road against Wikki Tourists of Bauchi in matchday six of the NPFL.
“I think it feels good, we did well in our last game against Wikki Tourists, nobody ever gave us a chance to defeat them in Bauchi, we did it, and we are so proud of the moment.”
“We will continue to keep our heads high above waters and won’t be distracted with our current performance, it is not easy topping the NPFL and every team’s target now is to stop our unbeaten streak, but we will remain focused and face each game as they come.”
“Abia Warriors are no push over in the league, they are also a good team. They have picked point on the road, but we will try our best to get our maximum points against them.”
“We will remain focused as a team to ensure we continue to win our games and permit me to use this opportunity to appreciate our fans for them support both at home and away, we happy, and we will not disappoint you because you all are our driving force.”
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) gets to its climax this weekend, especially on Sunday, when the title could be won and one of the other two tickets for the continental competition could be confirmed.
Also, one or two other teams may get their visas to the lower league.
Remo Stars will become the Nigerian champions if they win their home match against Niger Tornadoes in their fortress in Ikenne.
History seems about to repeat itself. It was Niger Tornadoes that Remo Stars beat on 17 July 2022 to get their first ever continental ticket to feature in the following season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
This Sunday, Niger Tornadoes may again be Remo Stars’ launchpad into the league title. What a season it has been for the club that has led the Nigerian league for the longest duration.
They were leaders into Christmas 2024. They were leaders at the end of 2024 and leaders into 2025 as they became the first club to have a double after beating Akwa United home and away.
No team won more away matches than Remo Stars this season. They won five matches away from home. At home, they won 15 of their 17 matches, making Ikenne a fortress. Only Rivers United and Katsina United, who drew their matches, escaped defeat in Ikenne.
With 20 wins, no team has won more matches this season than Remo Stars.
With the title almost decided, and the runners-up awaiting confirmation, the battle zone is the contest for the third place where seven teams are in contest.
The most ferocious of the battle will be that of the surprise team of the season, Ikorodu City and rejuvenated Abia Warriors.
They occupy third and fourth positions respectively. Yet at the onset of the season, those positions looked unlikely. Ikorodu City were the punching bag for the other teams, losing home and away and got their first league point only after five matches.
Today, the continental door is invitingly open to them. What about Abia Warriors, who began the season with a 2-0 home loss to Remo Stars?
They looked like going for their pound of flesh when they suddenly went two goals up against Remo Stars in Ikenne. But Remo Stars fought gamely back to snatch a nervy 3-2 win.
Abia Warriors will be hosting the initial top three runners, Shooting Stars who suddenly slumped in fortunes. But a win by the Ibadan team may reignite their continental aspirations.
Also jostling for a possible top-three finish are the quartet of Bendel Insurance, Kano Pillars, Enugu Rangers and Enyimba.
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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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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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