RIVERS ANGELS BACK TO WINNING WAYS

Rivers Angels retained their spot on top of the Nigeria Women Premier League Table with a 3-2 win against Ibom Angels on Saturday at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.

It was a hard fight between the two South-South clubs as both teams tried to prove supremacy in the first half of the game with most of the battle taking place in the midfield with no clear cut chances created.

Stella Mbachu, the veteran striker, gave Rivers Angels the lead 10 minutes to the first half interval with an assist from Mercy Amanze.

Ibom Angels were the better team in the second half dominating the game and capitalizing on a sloppy Rivers Angels’ defense with two goals from Ijeoma Emenike and Grace Henry in the 60th and 81st minute respectively.

But In the 73rd minute, Stella Mbachu leveled a well connected cross to Lola Phillips who parried the ball pass the fantastic Falcons goal keeper, Precious Dede.

The Port Harcourt side wrapped up the game with a win courtesy of a direct shot taken by Ngozi Ebere 7 minutes to regulation time which countered Grace Henry’s goal depriving the away team a point on the road.

Team manager of Rivers Angels, Matilda Otuene was excited with the victory.

“I am very happy with the result. It was not an easy match for the girls but this shows the spirit of champions that they can curtail pressure from every team they meet, said Otuene”.

“The two goals they conceded was due to lack of concentration but all the same it was a good game, she said”.

Ime Otoene, Ibom Angels coach, blamed his team’s loss on unfair officiating.
“The home team usually wins because they always get support from the match officials. We have not had fair officiating in our away games since the beginning of the second stanza of the season but today’s game was better compared to our previous matches, said Otoene”.

The win ensured Rivers Angels remain on top of the Nigeria Women Premier League table.

There was a shocking result in Calabar in the game between Pelican Stars and Confluence Queens.

Pelican Stars suffered their first home defeat of the season which ended 1-0 in favour of Confluence Queens. While Delta Queens were beaten by Sunshine Queens by 1-0.

ITF WORLD JUNIOR TENNIS FINALS, RESULTS – 9th AUGUST

Germany boys and Russia girls won the overall titles at the 2014 ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov, Czech Republic on Saturday. Sixteen boys and 16 girls teams took part in the finals of the ITF’s world junior team competition for players aged 14-and-under. A total of 172 teams from 90 countries have taken part in this year’s event.

For further information, please visit the ITF juniors website: http://www.itftennis.com/juniors

Boys Final

(1) Germany defeated (2) Canada 2-1
Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) d. Nicola Kuhn (GER) 76(4) 75
Rudolf Molleker (GER) d. Nicaise Muamba (CAN) 61 62
Nicola Kuhn/Rudolf Molleker (GER) d. Chih Chi Huang/Nicaise Muamba (CAN) 36 62 62

Girls Final

(6) Russia defeated (2) Ukraine 2-0
Olesya Pervushina (RUS) d. Katarina Zavatska (UKR) 63 46 63
Anastasia Potapova (RUS) d. Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 26 64 62
Doubles not played

Boys 3rd- 4th Place Play-off

(4) Russia defeated (6) Brazil 2-0
Nikolay Vylegzhanin (RUS) d. Joao Reis (BRA) 76(1) 64
Alen Avidzba (RUS) d. Thiago Wild (BRA) 46 63 76(6)
Doubles not played

Girls 3rd- 4th Place Play-off

Romania defeated (4) Australia 2-1
Mihaela Lorena Marculescu (ROU) d. Baijing Lin (AUS) 61 63
Destanee Aiava (AUS) d. Selma Stefania Cadar (ROU) 60 61
Selma Stefania Cadar/Andreea Prisacariu (ROU) d. Destanee Aiava/Gabriela Ruffels (AUS) 64 61

Boys 13th – 14th Place Play-off

(5) Chinese Taipei defeated Morocco 2-0
Yu-Hsiang Su (TPE) d. Soufiane el Mesbahi (MAR) 64 ret.
Hua-Chen Yu (TPE) d. Yassir Kilani (MAR) 67(5) 62 63
Doubles not played

Girls 13th – 14th Place Play-off

Egypt defeated Morocco 2-0
Hala Khaled (EGY) d. Yassmine Bengebara (MAR) 63 63
Dalila Said (EGY) d. Diae el Jardi (MAR) 60 64
Doubles not played

Boys 15th – 16th Place Play-off

Spain defeated Portugal 2-1
Afonso Viana (POR) d. Rafael Izquierdo Luque (ESP) 64 64
Alejandro Vedri-Castellano Asensi (ESP) d. Tomas Soares (POR) 62 61
Rafael Izquierdo Luque/Alejandro Vedri-Castellano Asensi (ESP) d. Tomas Soares/Afonso Viana (POR) 63 16 64

Girls 15th – 16th Place Play-off

India defeated Peru 2-0
Shivani Ingle (IND) d. Maricielo Sicha (PER) 61 64
Sathwika Sama (IND) d. Anastasia Iamachkine (PER) 36 75 76(3)
Doubles not played

Latest Football Transfer News, Rumors And Titbits

here are saturdays’ football transfer rumours, deals and Football titbits as compiled by our Man Paul.

you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going.

Angel Di Maria- (AP Photo/Paul White)

Done Deals:

– Arsenal have confirmed that Thomas Vermaelen has agreed to join Barcelona, And the Catalan Club have also confirmed the Capture of the Belgian Defender

– AS Monaco have completed the signing of goalkeeper Maarten Skelenburg from Fulham on a season-long loan deal.

– Chico flores have left Swansea to complete a move to Qatari side Lekhwiya.

– Newcastle have completed the double signing of Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow from Nottingham Forest for £6million.They will be loaned back to Nottingham for the 2014-2015 season.

– Inter Milan have completed the signing of Gary Medel from Cardiff city for £10 million

Today’s reports and rumours:

– Tottenham are believed to be interested in signing £2 million rated Nigerian youngster Moses Simon

– According to reports, Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno will complete his move to Liverpool after the UEFA Super cup

– Manchester City are on the verge of announcing the signing of Eliaquim Mangala from FC Porto

– West ham have reportedly agreed a fee with Marseille for midfielder Morgan Amalfitano

– Ac Milan boss Pipo Inzaghi is keen on signing QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt on permanent basis

– Swansea are still in talks with Napoli for £7 million rated defender Federico Fernandez

– According to reports, Manchester United have offered Real Madrid£55 million for winger Angel Di Maria

– Southampton are close to signing Romanian defender Florin Gardos from Steaua Bucharest

– According to reports in Italy,AC Milan has made inquiries about Manchester United winger Nani

– Cardiff city have opened talks over a £3million move for West ham midfielder Ravel Morrison

– According to reports, Manchester United have made inquiries about the availability of Tottenham defender Jan Vertoghen.

– AC Milan are close to sealing a deal for Real Madrid goalkepper Diego Lopez.

– According to reports, Liverpool are preparing a massive bid for Paris Saint-Germain striker Edison Cavani

– Southampton have had a £5million bid for right-back Sam Bryam rejected by Leeds United

– Ajax left-back Daley Blind has admitted he will find it extremely difficult to turn down a move to Manchester United

– Manchester United are keen on signing £28million rated defender Mehdi Benatia from Roma

– According to reports, Stoke city striker Peter Crouch is not interested in a move to West Ham United

Football tit bits:

– Former Dynamo Kyiv and Soviet Union midfielder Andrei Bal has died during a football match of veteran teams

– Everton Manager Roberto Martinez has revealed record signing Romelu Lukaku may not be fit enough to feature in the club’s Premier League opener

– New Sunderland signing Jack Rodwell has warned young English players not to sign for Manchester City

– Former Manchester United first team coach Phil Neville has admitted last season was a disaster and he tips Louis van Gaal to win the Premier league this season

-According to French Magazine L’Equipe, Abou Diaby will sit out the community shield after picking up an hip injury.

NNL: Kogi United 3 Prisons FC 2 – My Boys Looked Down On Prisons – Biffo

Kogi United

Head Coach of Nigeria National League, NNL side Abdullahi Biffo has disclosed that his boys were too complacent in their 3-2 home victory over bottom placed Prisons FC on Saturday.

It was a game expected to be one sided and for Kogi United to dominate based largely on the positions of both sides on the league table, but it proved not be as Prisons boys gave a good account of themselves throughout the entire duration of the game.

The Confluence state team took the lead in the 39th minute after captain Abiodun Afolabi converted a spot kick. Ebenezer Odeyemi doubled the lead for Kogi United with a fine header from Afolabi’s cross with just six minutes into the restart.

Prisons FC reduced the deficit to one when Endurance Ighahon capitalized on a communication error in Kogi United’s defense, sending goalkeeper Ndem Innocent to wrong side in the 71st minute.

Substitute Opeyemi Oketola restored the two goal advantage ten minutes later with a cool finish.

And just when Kogi United were celebrating their two goal margin, Sunday Emmanuel released a shot from outside the box that went straight into the net in stoppage time.

Biffo who queried his players for their poor performance, commended his opponent for their fighting spirit in the match, just as he promised to make amends for their mistakes in subsequent games.

Head Coach of, Kogi United – Abdullahi Biffo

“We got the maximum points, and I think that’s the most important thing in football, so we should be happy for that, but performance wise, we didn’t do well, may be my boys were looking down on Prisons, but of course we knew it won’t be that easy because a team in the position of Prisons will play like this, their performance really proved they didn’t deserve to be at the bottom of the league, for our shortcomings today, we would go back and correct that before our next match,” Biffo said.

Meanwhile, Technical Adviser of Prisons FC, Brown Zibiri admitted that Kogi United deserved to win, but was happy with the performance of his players.

“Kogi United showed maturity today, I think that’s what gave them the victory, they truly deserved it, but my boys did make me proud today, that’s my consolation, they didn’t show they are a team at the bottom of the league, and I still have hope and believe we can make it out,”

Kogi United have however accrued 38 points from 23 matches and their next match is against FRSC in Keffi on Saturday.

Golden Eaglets Overcome Global FC 2-1

A goal in each half by Chinedu Madueke and Promise Orji was enough as the Nigeria’s Under-17 team; Golden Eaglets recorded another victory against ambitious Global FC at the University of Calabar’s Abraham Ordia Stadium on Saturday.

Global FC managed by Coach Baron Ikechukwu Okeke, facility manager of Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar, offered much resistance and were also rewarded with a second-half goal by substitute, Lawrence Amid.

The match was an opportunity for Coach Emmanuel Amuneke to test fringe players before picking 30 in preparation for the team’s final qualifier towards Niger 2015 Championship against Gabon in September.

The first real chance of the match did not come until quarter of an hour when midfielder Henry Okebugwu meandered his way into the edge of Global’s box but his bubbly shot was saved by Goalkeeper Ben Ofem. Yet the Eaglets kept the opposition at bay and in the 30th minute, Sunday Alimi operating from the right flank whipped-in a pullout for Madueke to score the opener.

Some five minutes later, Global FC’s Samuel Effiong nicknamed Tevez after the hardworking Argentine striker (Carlos) nearly got his team’s equaliser but his powerful volley only graced the goal post into corner.

Amuneke further shuffled the team on resumption by drafting in seven fresh substitutes and it was newcomer Prince Omosowhofa who captained St.Thomas of Benin to win the 2014 NNPC/Shell Cup , that almost added a second goal in the 55th minute but his shot touched the bar away.

Orji, however, was at the right place when he rose above everyone to nod straight into the net a corner kick by Nuru Umar in the 69th minute.

Global FC gingered on by Coach Okeke on the side line, won’t give up though and in the 83rd minute, Amid powered home a header beyond Eaglets’ goalkeeper, Ebuka Nwokeocha off a free-kick by James Junior.

“This was a good match for us, “admitted Okeke. ” The Golden Eaglets as expected, were better organised; we have really seen areas we need improvement and I want to personally wish the Golden Eaglets success in their forthcoming match against Gabon.”

Golden Eaglets line up

Golden Eaglets Vs. Global FC

E. Nwokeocha-J. Lazarus(D.Kolawole 45th ),F.Ogwukenechukwu(K. Adejumo 45th );U.Ogugua(K.Ohiri 45th), D. Femi, N.Umar, S, Alimi( E.Akpan 45th), A.deyinka( B.Usman 45th; J. Ipalibo 63rd), C. Madueke(P. Omosowhofa 45th), H. Okebugwu (K. Muhammed 45th)P. Orji

Egypt Finishes Second Stage Of World Volleyball Championship Preparations

Egypt Men’s Volleyball team finished their second stage of preparations for 2014 FIVB Volleyball World Championship with three victories over the host Algeria.

The Egyptian team returns back home on Saturday after a third win 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 26-24, 25-15) against Algeria to finish this camp with an optimum performance.

Egypt will start the third and last stage of preparation on August 18 with a camp in Italy including 3 friendly matches where they leave directly to Poland on August 28, two days ahead of the World Championship.

The African champions started their preparations with the first stage in Tunisia where they won the African runner up twice 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-15) and 3-1 (26-24, 25-15, 20-25, 27-25) in their camp in the Tunisian capital.

Ahmed Salah Abdelhay of Egypt digging

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