Former Nigeria under 20 midfielder, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi has told the official website of his team, mountaintopfc.com that the survival of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) remains number one on his mind ahead of the forthcoming La-Liga tour slated to begin on August 10, 2016. The midfielder […]
via I Put MFM FC First Going To Spain, Says Ifeanyi Ifeanyi — newfanzoneblog
Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club of Lagos midfielder, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi has charged his teammates to go all out for victory against Ikorodu United Football Club of Lagos in match day 25 tie of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) tagged Lagos Derby. MFM FC will engage Ikorodu United FC in a game […]
via Ifeanyi Ifeanyi Charges Teammates For Derby Duel — newfanzoneblog
Caoch Fidelis Ilechukwu and his wards have commended the management of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club of Lagos for proper welfare packages.
Prior to the Match Day 6 clash against El-Kanemi Warriors football club of Maiduguri, the management of the Lagos-based Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side put smiles on the faces of their coaches and players after making payment of salaries and match bonus to the team amongst other welfare packages.
Head coach, Fidelis Illechkwu, team captain, Kenedium Nelson and former Nigeria under 20 star, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi revealed to MFM FC Media in an interview after the teams 3-1 triumph over El-Kanemi fc on Sunday at the Agege Stadium, The trio thanked the management as they promised to continue with their good run of form in the League.
Fidelis said: “Our management is really trying, it’s one of the best in the league, despite the financial hardship in the land they still find a way to pay our salaries and match bonuses up to date, we will not let them down, we shall continue to put in our best to get the required results.”
Team captain Nelson enthused: “We the players are happy with what our management has done, they have shown to us that we are very important because it’s not easy to feed over 50 players everyday and also pay them their salaries as at when due in a period when Nigeria is facing a difficult time, so I want to say a big thank you to them.”
Meanwhile, Ifeanyi believes the kind gesture by the management will reflect in the teams performance week in week out as they continue their campaign in the NPFL.
“I don’t think there’s any team in the world that will not perform better after been given the needed support by its management.
“You could see the way we played against El-Kanemi Warriors, I believe what they did few days before the match played out in the way we approached the game and it will continue to be like that till the end of the season,” the mercurial midfield told MFM FC Media.
MFM FC are first on the log with 13 points from six league games, they will be travelling to Owerri this wee6kend to play Heartland FC in Match Day 7 of the NPFL.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles beat their Ghanaian counterparts 2-0 in a second friendly played in Tema on Wednesday.
The first test match between the two 2015 African Youth Championship-bound teams ended 2-2 in Accra on Monday.
Like it was in the first match, Wednesday’s match was one of two halves – the Ghana Black Satellites dominated the first half and the Flying Eagles bossed the second half to make the most of their chances and win the game.
“We had a much better second half after our pep talk at half time. It was also a better performance for my team than what we showed in the first match,” praised Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba.
“Ghana too are a very good team and I tip them to go past Group B at the AYC.”
Ghana Black Satellites coach Silas Tetteh said the Flying Eagles are a very good team who gave his team a very good test.
“They are a compact team who showed very good understanding meaning they have been playing together for some time now. It was good to play against such a team,” he said.
“But despite the fact that we lost, we also gave a good account of ourselves as we finalise our preparations for the championship.”
Skipper Musa Muhammed put away a penalty in the 70th minute after a Ghana defender handled the ball inside his box.
Substitute Ifeanyi Matthew doubled the Flying Eagles lead in stoppage time, when he finished off a flowing attack with a powerful shot from the top of the box.
First-half sub Bernard Bulwa ought to have given Nigeria the lead after 65 minutes when he beat the offside trap by Ghana and came face-to-face with goalkeeper Muntawakilu Seidu, who blocked the winger’s shot at point-blank range.
Bulbwa also threw away another clear-cut chance in stoppage time after Wasiu Jimoh’s long ball found Taiwo Awoniyi, who set up the dribbling winger.
Nigeria’s other big opening was in the 67th minute, when Ifeanyi Ifeanyi’s shot from inside the box came off the post.
However, the first half belonged to Ghana, who made wholesale changes to the squad who played the first game on Monday as coach Tetteh said he wanted to see as many players as possible before the team fly out on a training tour of Turkey on Friday.
The sustained pressure on the Flying Eagles was underlined by the fact that they recorded four bookings in the first half – Usman Hassan 29th minute, Musa Yahaya 31st minute, Abdulganiyu Saed 33rd minute and Izu Omego 45th minute.
Flying Eagles vs Ghana
Olorunleke Ojo – Musa Muhammed, Samuel Okon, Izu Omego, Abdulganiyu Saed – Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Akinjide Idowu (Wasiu Jimoh 82), Obinna Nwobodo, Musa Yahaya (Ifeanyi Matthew 51) – Taiwo Awoniyi, Usman Hassan (Bernard Bulbwa 39) (Alhassan Ibrahim 90)
After a sparkling performance against Dolphins, Enugu Rangers midfielder Obinna Nwobodo has been rewarded with a second straight start for the Flying Eagles in Sunday’s final game in the Super 4.
Nwobodo has been on the fringes of the main team but shone in the Flying Eagles 4-1 win over Dolphins on Friday by delivering three assists to keep his place in the starting XI.
He also provided the assist for Musa Yahaya’s late goal against Enyimba on the opening day of the competition.
He starts ahead of Ifeanyi Matthew and Abdullahi Alfa.
Exciting winger Bernard Bulbwa was also on target against Dolphins and will thus also start against the country’s Olympic team.
Prince Aggreh from Sunshine Stars, who was sent off in the opening game against Enyimba and has since served out his one-match ban, will play alongside the team’s main striker Taiwo Awoniyi.
The Flying Eagles have already won this six-team tournament with an unassailable 12 points from four matches and so today’s final clash against the U23s is a mere formality.
Flying Eagles start list vs National Under 23 Team:
Joshua Enaholo – Mustapha Abdullahi, Zaharadeen Bello, Abdul Ganiyu Saed, Musa Muhammed (Captain) – Akinjide Idowu, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Obinna Nwobodo, Bernard Bulbwa- Prince Aggreh, Taiwo Awoniyi
Subs: OlorunLeke Ojo, Roland Silas, Adebayo Ademulua, Ifeanyi Mathew, Musa Yahaya, Chidera Eze, Usman Hassan, Tunde Adeniji, Wasiu Jimoh, Abdullahi Alfa
The Flying Eagles stepped up their build-up for this weekend’s Super 4 in Abuja with a confidence-boosting 6-0 win over NDC Warriors at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Sunshine Stars striker Prince Aggrey opened scoring for the Nigeria U20s after 13 minutes and 10 minutes later skipper Taiwo Awoniyi won a penalty, which was put away by Ifeanyi Ifeanyi.
Wasiu Jimoh then saw his goal-bound effort crash against the post on 33 minutes.
The Flying Eagles extended their lead in the 68th minute when Usman Hassan headed home off a free kick delivered by Jimoh.
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A minute later, Prince Aggrey coolly grabbed his brace as he was put through by Abdullahi Alfa.
Ifeanyi Ifeanyi then scored again from the penalty spot after substitute Obinna Nwobodo was brought down inside the box on his way to goal.
Substitute Gabriel completed the rout in stoppage time.
Flying Eagles starting XI: Joshua Enaholo – Zaharadeen Bello, Mustapha Abdullahi, Akinjide Idowu, Abdullahi Alfa, Bernard Bulbwa, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Prince Aggrey, Wasiu Jimoh, Ya’u Hassan, Taiwo Awoniyi (capt)
Flying Eagles arrived in Cotonou Saturday afternoon ahead of an AYC qualifier warm-up against hosts Benin the following day.
The test match will be played at the Stade Rene Pleven Cotonou 2 by 4pm.
It was the same venue both teams played out a 1-1 draw two years ago.
NFF president’s special adviser Patrick Pascal has warned the Flying Eagles should expect a physical challenge from the home team after he accompanied the Golden Eaglets to lose the Benin U17 in a WAFU B U17 Championship.
“They will not take this game as a friendly and they will most likely line up big and strong players like was the case against us in Togo,” warned the ex-international.
The home team had earlier planned to camp the Flying Eagles in Porto Novo, where they are also training, and both teams would then make the hour-long bus ride to Cotonou on match day.
However, coach Manu Garba kicked against this arrangement and the Flying Eagles were booked into Bresilia Hotel, which is a five-minute drive from the match venue.
Incidentally, Nigeria Premier League club El Kanemi Warriors stayed at this hotel for their pre-season training tour of Benin recently.
The Nigeria U20s could not train on Saturday evening as hoped because a league game was being played at the match venue.
They hope they could now shake up fatigue with an early Sunday morning session.
Coach Manu is expected to ring two changes to his settled first team with Izu Omego in for Zaharadeen Bello in the heart of the back four.
Ifeanyi Ifeanyi will also replace defensive midfielder Akinjide Idowu in the starting XI.
Both teams are using this match to prepare for this weekend’s AYC qualifiers.
Nigeria will be away to Tanzania, while Benin battle Congo also away from home.
The Nigeria U20 team have named a 20-man squad for Sunday’s warm-up match against their Benin Republic counterparts in Porto Novo.
Among those picked were the country’s heroes from last year’s FIFA U17 World Cup-winning team like Kelechi Iheanacho, skipper Musa Muhammed, Chidiebere Nwakali, Musa Yahaya, Taiwo Awoniyi, Abdullahi Alfa and Zaharadeen Bello.
Others on the squad are Alhassan Ibrahim aka Mu-azam, Wilfred Ndidi, Ifeanyi Matthew and goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo.
The test match will be played at Charles de Gaulle Stadium in Porto Novo from 4pm local time, which is the same time with Nigeria.
Both teams have clashed at the same level previously.
They drew 1-1 in Cotonou in September 2012 and a rematch in Abuja ended in a goalless draw.
Two players will then be dropped from the squad for the 2015 AYC qualifier in Tanzania in the weekend of May 9-11.
NFF executive committee member Shehu Adamu will lead the team to both Benin and Tanzania.
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Joshua Enaholo, Adamu Abubakar, Abdulazeez Abubakar
Defenders: Musa Muhammed, Mustapha Abdullahi, Ifeanyi Nweke, Wilfred Ndidi, Izu Omego, Zaharadeen Bello
Midfielders: Chidiebere Nwakali, Musa Yahaya, Kelechi Iheanacho, Abdullahi Alfa, Akinjide Idowu, Wasiu Jimoh, Ifeanyi Matthew, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi
Strikers: Alhassan Ibrahim ‘Mu-azam’, Taiwo Awoniyi, Sulaiman Abdullahi
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