The Nigeria Football Supporters club has honoured the Executive Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and former Delta State Governor James Ibori as patrons of the world famous club respectively. While Governor Okowa was honoured as the new National Patron, Chief James Ibori received the honour as the new National Leader of the NFSC. […]
via Nigeria Football Supporters Club Honours Okowa, Ibori As Patrons — finixsportsblog
The Technical Adviser of Warri Wolves , Paul Aigbogun has said the team is fully ready for Sunshine Stars on Saturday at the Warri City Stadium and assured their fans that they have nothing to fear.
Soft spoken Aigbogun who spoke after their training on Friday morning declared that what happened during the week when the players made an attempt to go on strike will not affect their performance because the players know what is at stake at this time.
“We have just finished our training and I know that the players will live up to expectation. We have talked to them and they know what is at stake at this time. We cannot allow that to affect us especially with what Sunshine did to us in the first leg in Akure”
“We want the fans to come out and support the boys. We need them at this time when the situation has become critical as we march on to catch up with Enyimba. We know we can do it and we are going to give our best. In Kano, what I saw really impressed me and I want Warri people and its environs to come out on Saturday to cheer the team to victory.”
The new Executive Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has promptly released funds to execute the match between Warri Wolves and AC Leopards coming up at the Warri City Stadium on Saturday.
Dr Okowa who was only briefed on Tuesday night about the match approved the release of funds without delay and urged the team to win the match for him.
“We are lucky to have Dr Okowa at the helm of affairs in Delta State. Despite the state of affairs which we all know, he has approved fund for the match. Everybody knows that there is no money in the country but he has done that to show that he is equal to the task. We can only win this match for him and I know that Sports will not suffer under him.” said Etu who is the Media Manager of the Warri based team.
Meanwhile, the players of the Warri based team have intensified their efforts in training as they await the arrival of AC Leopards who arrived PortHarcourt in a Chartered flight.
The players who have been joined by those in the Super Eagles camp have said they will do everything to overturn the first leg result which ended 3-0 against them.
Ilupeju Grammar School Lagos and Yejide Grammar School Ibadan, Oyo State have emerged champions in the boys and girls categories respectively in the western conference of 17th edition of Nestle Milo Secondary Basketball Championships concluded at the indoor sports hall of liberty stadium Ibadan.
To emerge victorious in the boy’s category, Ilupeju Grammar Lagos, out dunked Don Domingo Secondary School Warri, Delta State by 37-28. Coach Olayinka Oyewunmi of Ilupeju Grammar School revealed after the victory that his team had proven its capabilities by qualifying for the National finals.
In the girls final, Western conference Defending Champions, Yejide Grammar School Ibadan, confirmed their berth in the national final after beating Zeal College Otta Ogun State by 37-21 to confirm themselves as worthy champions.
Captain of Yejide grammar school, Ibadan, Mattew Busayo, speaking after the match said that they are very happy to have made it to the national finals in Lagos, “the next step for us is to prepare well, correcting our mistakes and strategising our game plan because, This is where the champions of each conferences meet, we are ready and very optimistic of our chances”. Busayo said.
Speaking exclusively after the final game, Mr dairo Jacob, who Represented the National President of the NSSF, expressed his delight with the standard of the tournament and thanked Nestle milo the sole sponsors of the championship.
Meanwhile, nestle Nigeria plc, Category Business Manager Mr femi Akintola has reiterated his company’s resolves to continue to contribute its quota to the development of basketball in the country.
According to Akintola, Nestle believes that sports serves as a suitable platform for the youths to learn values such as honestly, teamwork, fair play, respect, adherence to rules, discipline , perseverance, resilience, and a strong sense of purpose and that is the motivating factor behind his company’s commitment.
It was all fireworks at the Western Conference Semi final games of the 17TH Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship at the indoor sport hall of Liberty stadium Ibadan.
Don Domingo Secondary School Warri, Delta State outshined Greenland Academy from Ogun State 34-29 in a closely contested match in first semi final.
Speaking after the match, Head Coach of the Delta side Solomon Inegbedi said, our victory in all stages means so much to us and most especially to grassroots sports, I applaud my players and salute their courage, I also thank Nestle Plc, sponsors of the championship for assisting in the development of basketball in the country.
In second semi final played, Ilupeju Grammar School Lagos confirmed their supremacy over Government Secondary Ilorin School, Kwara State with an emphatic 41-15.
Ilupeju grammar school lagos, will take on Don Domingo Secondary School Warri Delta State, in the final game of Western Conference.
In the girl’s semi finals, Ogun State representatives, Zeal College Otta, Ogun State will play against host team, Yejide Grammar School Ibadan, in the Western Conference Final slated for Tuesday. The girls from Ogun State soared in the last quarter to defeat hard fighting Anglican High School, Ekiti State 24-22.
The head coach of Zeal College Otta, Akindele Peter said, the victory was well deserved and we are happy clinching a final ticket.
In the second semi final played, the defending champion Yejide Grammar School Ibadan walloped Wesley Girls Senior Lagos, in thrilling and sensational encounter by 38-30.
Yejide Grammar School Ibadan Oyo State, which has twice won the zone in the Nestle Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship, picked the first semi final ticket in the girls category at the ongoing Western Conference playoffs taking place in the indoor sports hall of Liberty stadium, Ibadan.
The hardworking, dedicated and disciplined Ibadan side defeated Queen Elizabeth School Ilorin, Kwara State 53-05 points. Team coach, Yemi Abiodun who was piloting affairs from the bench, praised his girls for their resilience: “I asked my players to take it easy and play their normal game without underrating the opponent”
Also Zeal College Otta, Ogun State silenced highly rated Ugborikoko Secondary School Warri, Delta state by 10-08.
In the other quarter final matches played, Anglican high school Ado Ekiti, defeated Regina Mundi Girls Secondary school, Iwo, Osun State by 52-05, while Wesley Girls Senior of Lagos state over powered Queen of Rosary College Onitsha, Anambra state, by 56-08.
The semi final matches are billed for Monday at the same venue with hosts, Yejide Grammar School Ibadan confronting Wesley Girls’ Senior School Lagos, While Zeal College Otta, representing Ogun State, will take on Anglican High School from Ekiti State.
In the boys’ category, Don Domingo Secondary School Warri, defeated Ado Grammar School Ekiti by 28-15, while Government Secondary School Ilorin, Kwara State sent host boys Loyola College Ibadan packing by 37-33. Lagos and Ogun state walked over their opponents from Anambra and Osun State respectively in the other quarter final match. The Anambra and Osun boys teams were disqualified during the screening exercise.
The semi final pairings in the boys category are Lagos versus Kwara in first semi final game and Ogun State versus Delta state on Monday.
With Warri Wolves drawn to play AC Leopard of Congo in the last match before the group stage and with the first leg away from home, the Managing Director of the team, Davidson Owumi has said they are sure of making it to the group stage.
Owumi who spoke immediately after the draws which was conducted by CAF General Secretary, Hicham El Amrani said the God that started the good work will not abandon them at this stage, moreover they will work hard to see that they do not disappoint the Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan who has been the driving force behind the team.
According to Owumi, the team is ready to face anybody on the continent and hopefully, they will overcome.
On his part, Coach Aigbogun said they prepared for any of the teams and the most important thing is for the boys to play well.
He said he will have to find out now how they play and that the first leg away will afford them an opportunity to prepare well and get a good result.
The first leg comes up in Congo the weekend of 15, 16 and 17th of this month while the second leg comes up in Warri City Stadium on the 7th of june, 2015.
The Managing Director of Warri Wolves, Davidson Owumi has praised the sports loving Governor of Delta State for coming to the teams rescue by bailing them out after providing funds for the team to travel to Congo.
Apart from making available fund for the trip to Congo, the Governor equally released money to offset part of the salary being owned the players and that really gladdened the heart of the players who have vowed to play their hearts out in Congo on Friday as they confront Entancheite in the second leg which ended 2-1 in their favour two weeks ago in Warri.
According to Owumi, the Governor deserves kudos for coming to bail the team out at this time otherwise, the story would have been different.
“We are very grateful to the Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan for bailing us out by given us fund for the trip and he also made available money to pay part of the salarys. This has gone a long way to motivate the boys and one can see the way they are behaving now. I pray that we qualify so we can dedicate the victory to the Governor once again.” said Owumi.
It would be recalled that before the first leg in Warri, the Governor visited the team and motivated them and promised to pay whatever that is accruing to the players this week.
Meanwhile, the team which left Nigeria on Wednesday afternoon via Asky Airline through Lome arrived Kinshasha around 8pm and have since settled down.
The Captain of Warri Wolves, Azubuike Egwuekwe has dedicated their slim victory over MK Etancheite from D.R.Congo to the Executive Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan who motivated them before the first leg and assured him that the team will qualify for the next round which is the group stage.
According to Azubuike, even though people tend to say that it is over, the players have seen their opponents and know what to do in the second leg which comes up next week.
He said some of their key players did not play in the first leg including himself and the second leg would be a different ball game.
“We dedicated our victory to Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan who came to talk to us before the match. It could have been worse and we thank him for all he has done for the team. We hope to overcome the team from Congo even though a lot of people have given up but we know what to do having played them here.
On the performance of the team since its inception, we have not done badly because we have rubbed shoulders with the best in the land within a short time. There are teams who have been on ground for the past 30 years or more but here we are, within 8 years, we have qualified for the continent four times, played FA Cup final once and if you mention four teams in this country, you must mention Warri Wolves.
We know we can do better and we are working towards that. Our players are all over the world, doing well.” said Egwuekwe .
Warri Wolves Football Club will depart the Oil city for Lagos on Wednesday and further depart for Burkina Faso on Thursday to begin their campaign in the CAF Confederation Cup competition.
In a brief release made available to Sports Writers in Warri by the Media Manager, Etu Moses, the team made up of 18 players and 9 officials will leave Lagos by 15.00 hours.
According to Etu, the team has been in closed camping in Otu-Jeremi, in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State after the Super Six in Abuja where the Coaches led by Paul Aigbogun have been perfecting their strategies for this crucial match.
Etu further revealed that some of the players that will make the trip are Goalkeepers Daniel Akpeyi and Okiemute Odah, Goodluck Onamado, Eyimofe Joseph, Semiu Liadi who joined from Enyimba, Monday Osagie, Oke Ogagotewho and Ibenegbu Ikechukwu.
Others are Micheal Egbeta, Michael Okoyoh, Joseph Osadiaye, Stanley Dimgba, Abu Azeez and Bright Akpojuvwewo.
Also, some of the team’s U-23 players like Ichull Lordson, Austin Amutu, Omoforman Freedom and Achibi Ewenike have been released and may make the team depending on the Coach’s plan.
Etu however disclosed that Oghenekaro Etebo was not released because the National team Coaches sent a word that he is nursing an injury.
Speaking on the match, Coach Paul Aigbogun expressed the confidence that his wards would would do the nation proud and he called on Nigerians to pray for them.
Warri Wolves Football Club has sent 23 names to CAF for registration towards the forthcoming CAF Confederation Cup assignment while 12 others have been asked to look elsewhere to ply their trade as the Club prepare for the coming season.
Arising from a meeting which was chaired by the Managing Director, Davidson Owumi on Monday, Management also concluded that there would be no screening rather, the Club will upgrade two players from the feeder team who are adjudged to be good enough to play in the Premiership, recruit three young players from Delta State, and sign five players which have been invited and discussion almost concluded.
The Club also agreed not to release the names of those who have been asked to go and also those who are coming in until a later date but they should be informed that there services are no longer required.
” It was a crucial meeting where we took some drastic decisions. We are going to retain 23 players and their names have been sent to CAF for registration while we have asked 12 to look elsewhere to ply their trade. We also agreed that there would be no screening but we shall promote two players from the feeder team, look for three players around Delta State because the talents are there for us to harness. We have invited five players to beef up some areas and discussion is on with them at present.
All the names of those who are going and those whom we are discussing with would be released at a later date but I can tell you that one is coming from Crown FC, One from FC Taraba, Two from Sunshine Stars and one from Akwa United.
Management also agreed to resume in early January and to move straight into a close camping. We took all these decisions in the best interest of the Club and in view of the task ahead as we want to avoid the mistakes of the past. The most important thing is that we have a team on ground to prosecute any of the assignments.”
The NFF Electoral Appeals Committee, constituted at the Extra-Ordinary General Assembly of 20th September, 2014 in Warri, Delta State, will on November 11 and 12 sit on pending appeals from the NFF Executive Committee elections of 30th September in the same city.
Alhaji Muazu Suleyman, a former Member of the NFF Executive Committee, who contested for the post of Vice President alongside Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi (eventual winner), High Chief Emeka Inyama and Hon. Shehu Adamu, has appealed against the result.
Barr. Iyke Igbokwe, Vice Chairman of the NFF Disciplinary Committee, is also contesting his defeat in the election of the South –East representative. The contest was among eventual winner Felix Anyansi –Agwu, Barr. Jude Obikwelu and Igbokwe.
The NFF Electoral Appeals Committee is headed by Barr. Okechukwu Ajunwa, with Mr. Dotun Coker and Mallam Sani Mohammed as members. Mr. Victor Nwangwu and Mr. Bala Garba are substitute members. The Secretary is Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.
newfanzone 