Nigerian Football

Sunshine Dries Up Rivers

Published

7 years ago

February 26, 2017

A fantastic long range strike from Ayo Saka proved decisive in Sunday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) contest between Sunshine Stars and Rivers United in Akure.

The two sides went into the game which was decided at the Akure Township Stadium in poor form.

The Stars were winless in their last five games while United boasted of just a solitary win from their last four NPFL matches.

Clear cut chances were at a premium early on until 38th minute when Saka struck, profiting from a Sikiru Alimi pass after the visitors lost possession in careless fashion.

United improved after the break and were unlucky not to be back on level terms in the 52nd minute when Olorunleke Ojo reacted well to deny Nzube Anaezemba from point blank range.

Ojo earned top marks again on the hour with a save right out of the top drawer to beat out Esosa Igbinoba’s free kick from 25 yards.

The visitors were unrelenting at this stage, stepping on the accelerator in a bid to rescue the game from the throes of defeat.

Emeka Atoloma fired a free kick marginally wide in the 64th minute while Emeka Ogbugh shot straight at Ojo after embarking on a mazy run that left two Sunshine Stars defenders for dead in the 75th minute.

Substitute, Bernard Ovoke brought pace, urgency and trickery into the United forward line after he replaced Nzube Anaezemba but there was to be no positive end product.

The electrifying winger created an important opening at the death but Lukman Mohammed, another second half entrant could only hit the side netting.

The hosts were however not to be denied; they defended stoically in the closing stages to claim a deserved win in the end.

Head coach of the Akure club, Kayode Olujohungbe spoke exclusively to our official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng after the game pointing out Saka’s first half goal as the turning point in the game.

“The game was won when they relaxed in defence in the first half.

“I knew the best they could get against us was a draw and all they needed to do was to keep us out and they would have gotten a goalless draw,” he said.

The Rivers United technical manager, Stanley Eguma also identified his side’s fleeting loss of concentration in the first stanza as the major reason for the loss to the Owena Whales.

“It wasn’t a bad game. We lost as a result of a loss of concentration in the first half after some careless marking in midfield.

“It affected our game plan but we learned a big lesson today to always keep our concentration for an entire game.

“We really wanted to win today but it was not to be,” he said.

The victory came with rich rewards for Sunshine Stars as they left the relegation zone and now sit in 11th place on the league standings while United stay in 14th with 10 points from eight games.

Match statistics

Sunshine Stars: Ojo Olorunleke, Kehinde Adedipe, Ambrose Onyema, Boboye Ezekiel, Nojeem Raji, Ogor Kelechi, Peter Iyamu (Sunday Oluwadare 48’), Sikiru Alimi (Bright Babatunde 70’), Samad Kadiri (Kola Anubi 81’), Ayo Saka and Alaba Adeniyi.

Substitutes not used: Ariyo David, Okemini Ikpo, Yahuza Bala, and Abe Sunday.

Rivers United: Femi Thomas, Ojobo Markson, Zoumana Doumbia, Emeka Atuloma, Ayobami Asekunuwo, Festus Austine, Anaezemba Nzube (Ovoke Bernard 62’), Keumian Guy (Lukman Mohammed 79’), Asamoah Godbless (Emeka Ogbugh 57’), Esosa Igbinoba and Weli Christian

Substitutes not used: Sunday Rotimi, Ifeanyi Nweke, Douhadji Joseph and Aliassou Sanou.

Courtesy, Sammy Wejinya

Nigerian Football

Remo Stars close to winning their first Nigeria Premier League title

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Remo Stars on Friday inch closer to achieving their first ever title in the Nigeria elite division league after beating visiting Niger Tornadoes 3-0 to move second on the log and just a point behind league leaders, Enugu Rangers.

Remo Stars are now with 53 points and still have an outstanding home game to play.

Friday’s win which comes on the eve of the proprietor’s birthday has put the team back into contention for the title.

They have progressively become prominent in the Nigerian premier league having placed third two seasons ago and second last season.

Top finish this season will confirm their progression and also a third consecutive continental outing.

Top scorer, Sikiru Alimi launched them of victory path as his 28^th minute penalty kick heralded their return to high scoring ways.

It has been a while since they scored high in the league. Barely three minutes later, Sikiru, a contender for the top scorer award increased the tally to two.

Ahmed Akinyele completed the route in the 75^th minute.

Nigerian Football

Nigeria face tough defence as Burkina Faso lie in wait at U17 WAFU B AFCON qualifiers

Published

4 days ago

April 23, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Defending champions Nigeria have been handed a difficult path to the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations finals after being drawn in the same group as Burkina Faso for next month’s WAFU B qualifying tournament in Ghana.

The Golden Eaglets, who won the last edition of the regional championship in 2022, will also face Togo and Niger in Group B of the competition which runs from 15-28 May.

Hosts Ghana find themselves in Group A alongside Cote d’Ivoire and Benin in a tough-looking section of the competition to be played in Accra.

The draw was conducted by 1970s Ivorian football legends Kobenan Kouman and Die Foneye at the Ivorian FA headquarters in Abidjan on Friday.

Nigeria claimed their WAFU B U17 AFCON title by defeating Burkina Faso 2-1 in the regional final in Ghana two years ago.

However, they will need to overcome some familiar foes if they are to defend their crown and with the Burkina Faso finishing third at the last TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations, some exciting matches are expected.

Arch-rivals Nigeria and Ghana are among the two favourites and could meet in the final in Accra on 28 May, should they top their respective groups and make it through the semi-finals.

Ghana also have pedigree at this level, having the World Cup in 1991 and 1995 as they bid to reach the U17 AFCON finals on home soil.

The top two teams from the WAFU B tournament will qualify for next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Groups:

Group A: Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin

Group B: Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Togo, Niger.

Nigerian Football

Former Nigeria international, Onye recommends Amuneke-Siasia combo for Super Eagles

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Kingsley Onye, the left sided defender who was a member of the first Flying Eagles side to have a podium finish at the U-20 World Cup has suggested the employment of Emmanuel Amuneke as the coach of the Super Eagles.

He wants him to be assisted by Samson Siasia when the ban on the latter lapses in August. Alternatively, Onye pointed to Sylvanus Okpala as alternative to Siasia.

The Super Eagles are in dare need for a head coach as the clock ticks down to the Match day 4 and 5 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in which the team is trailing at the third position.

The two matches in early June are crucial for the Super Eagles to bounce back into reckoning as the team can not afford to drop any of the available six points in the duels with South Africa at home and away to Benin.

From this Monday, it is 41 days to the potentially challenging tie with South Africa, but the Nigerian national team has been without a coach since the expiration of the contract of Portugal’s Jose Peseiro shortly after the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

Without mincing words, Onye remarked: “Emmanuel Amuneke is the right man for the job of the coach of Super Eagles. He has been there before.

“He tasted it and had been fantastic with the Nigeria youth team, the U-17 by assisting Manu Garba to win the U17 World Cup in 2013 and as head coach, led the Golden Eaglets to win the cup again in 2015.”

Onye who played for the Enugu Rangers in Nigeria before venturing to the UK but had his career scuppered by freak injury pointed out that the solution to Super Eagles’ technical deficiency is the appointment of an indigenous coach and that Amuneke is the man.

In buttressing his assertion, he declared: “As a senior team coach, Amuneke qualified a long standing absentee team, Tanzania for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

“His record as a player is also very impressive. He played and won with the Super Eagles, the AFCON 1994. He played at the Olympic Games and was also the first Nigerian to score two goals at the World Cup.

“He has played at the African Games and also for top clubs in the continent as he was a member of the Egyptian giants, Zamalek. In Europe, he played for Sporting Clube de Portugal and then Barcelona before injury ended his playing career.”

Onye also looked at the personality of Amuneke in recommending him for the Super Eagles job.

His record as a player is also very impressive. He played and won with the Super Eagles, the AFCON 1994. He played at the Olympic Games and was also the first Nigerian to score two goals at the World Cup.

He has played at the African Games and also for top clubs in the continent as he was a member of the Egyptian giants, Zamalek. In Europe, he played for Sporting Clube de Portugal and then Barcelona before injury ended his playing career.