Giwa vs Sharks! Sharks Beg For Answers

It is no longer news that the inconclusive match between Giwa Fc and Sharks will now be replayed at the FIFA goal project in Abuja.

This to us is okay but not by all standard because clubs like Gombe united and Lobi stars both who had a similar case like ours got three points in matches against Nembe city which was inconclusive like ours,so the big question we ask is why were these teams awarded three points and Sharks was asked to replay its own match against Giwa fc.

This is just one of the many question we want to ask the organizing and disciplinary committee of the Nigeria football federation because we strongly believe that justice was not done in the matter between Giwa and Sharks haven found the former (Giwa) guilty of the offense levelled against it, so we appeal that the three points be awarded to Sharks like the O and D did for other teams.

It also baffle us to know the O and D was silent on who will foot the bill of the treatment of Gabriel Olalekan,the player hit by a missile thrown into the field of play by fans of Giwa fc and what about who will foot our travelling expenses to Abuja if our appeal for the three points is not awarded to us,come to think of it the guilty club is barnished to Abuja a journey less than four hours from jos while we have to do ten to twelve hours to honour the match where is the justice here

ABIA WARRIORS CHALLENGE LMC TO MONITOR CLUBS, REFS

Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia, has called on the League Management Committee (LMC) organizers of the on-going Glo Professional Football League to monitor closely, the activities of referees and clubs to ensure that only the best teams qualified to represent the country in next years continental campaign.

In a statement released by the club’s media officer, Mr. Igwe Onuoha after the Warriors lost 1-2 to Lobi Stars of Makurdi at the Emmanuel Akume Atongo stadium Katsina-Ala, Benue State in one of the week 34 encounters, the Umuahia based outfit noted that the team could not have lost the game if the referee had not succumbed to the intimidation by the home fans.

Onuoha wondered why the centre referee, Hamza Garba from Kano State disallowed a 14th minute goal they netted from a corner-kick which would have unsettled the home side.

In his reaction, the Technical Adviser of Abia Warriors FC Ladan Bosso said he has never seen a situation like that before where such a goal is disallowed.

Ladan Bosso, photo credit ladanbosso.blogspot.com

“My striker (Onyekachi Peter) had nodded in a free header into the net from a corner-kick and the AR II (the 2nd Assistant referee) had already acknowledged the goal by running towards the centre but to everyone’s surprise, the centre referee disallowed it “he said.

He stated that if the goal had stood, the match could have gone Abia Warriors way.

“The referee’s decision demoralized my boys and made them to lose concentration which allowed Lobi to score two goals. Their goals were good goals but why did the referee disallow our own good goal? Afterall, Lobi scored first in Umuahia before we rallied to win so there is nothing wrong about conceding first at home” he said.

According to him, the referee must have succumbed to the intimidation from the Lobi supporters who had threatened to deal with the officials if the team failed to win.

The threat started from the morning hours when the pre-match meeting had to be stopped severally due to the threat coming from the supporters who had thronged the venue but the Benue State Football Association had assured everyone of adequate security.

At half time, the referees refused to go into the tunnel because of the tense atmosphere inside the dressing rooms and it took several minutes of plea from Lobi Stars’ Chairman and Technical Adviser, Dominic Iorfa for the referees to go into their dressing room.

But Abia Warriors players and officials were not allowed by the home supports to enter their dressing room. The irate fans, aided by some Lobi Stars players had blocked the Warriors midway and even beat some players like Wasiu Showomimo, forcing the visitors to come back to the pitch where they rested before the second half began.

Abia Warriors believe this kind of desperation by teams should be checked by the LMC particularly now that the league is nearing its conclusion so that only the best will qualify to represent Nigeria in International competitions next year.

Nembe City Fined, Banished To Benin

The League Management Company (LMC) on Thursday ruled that Nembe City will play their next three home matches in Benin.

These decisions and others including a financial fine on Nembe City were reached in the aftermath of the inconclusive Match Day 26 fixture between Nembe City and Lobi Stars at the Krisdera Stadium, Omoku, Rivers State.

The LMC found that the match was discontinued as a result of fans invading the pitch in protest of extra time penalty awarded by the center Referee against Nembe City. It noted that it was the action of the fans and not the protest of Nembe City players, who though initially protested the penalty award that caused the pitch invasion and inhibited the continuation of play.

It further observed that play could not have resumed even if Nembe City players returned within five to twenty five minutes as stipulated by the Rules when the fans refused to vacate the pitch and accordingly fined the club N500, 000 for the unruly conduct of its players, officials and fans.

The LMC therefore ordered that the botched match will be concluded at a neutral venue on a date preceding the 2014 Federation Cup finals. The match will be re-started from the time it was halted and with the same result that prevailed at the time of the disruption.

The LMC said these immediate actions are without prejudice to the Organizing and Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)

Ahead Heartland Game, Gbenga Ogunbote Makes Slight Changes

Technical adviser of Sharks football club Gbenga Ogunbote has made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Lobi stars of makurdi in a Glo Nigeria premier league encounter in Katsina Ala over the weekend.

The two additions to the team includes Christian Pyagbara who missed the trip to katsina Ala due to a slight knock on his knee and Kingsley Patrick while the players that will give way are Evans Iyor who had a very good game in his debut match against Bayelsa United and Brown Brune.

New signing Ibrahim Salawu is still part of the team and will be looking forward to a good outing in this double header if he gets the chance to play.

Midfielder Chiamaka Madu is optimistic they will come out tops like they did in the first double header of the season against crown FC at the Sharks stadium.

Except there is a last minute change these are the 18 players that will dress up for today’s home game Vs Heartland FC at the liberation stadium.

Ibrahim Salawu of Sharks Fc. port-harcourt

SHARKS FC TEAM LIST

DANLADI ISSAH

ODINGA ODINGA

YINKA ADEDEJI

GABRIEL OLALEKAN

MICHAEL EZEKIEL

JOSEPH NATHANIEL

CHIAMAKA MADU

FABIYI TAYO

ABRAHAM OKEREKE

TAMMY TAMS

JAMIU ALIMI

HENRY VINCENT

FORTUNE OMONIWARI

IBRAHIM SALAWU

ALABA OSAWE

KELLY KESTER

CHRISTIAN PYAGBARA

KINGSLEY PATRICK

Ogunbote Describes Loss To Lobi Stars As Setback

Coach Gbenga Ogunbote of Sharks Football Club Port Harcourt has described his team’s loss to Lobi Stars over the weekend as a temporary setback that the team will overcome soon.

Ogunbote who stated this while refuting assertions that the team played under pressure said that could not have been the case as his team had better possession in the game.

“I want to see this as a temporary setback, it’s not a disaster, we’ll still bounce back and don’t forget we still have about sixteen games to go” Ogunbote said.

“We never played under pressure because we had better percentage of possession.” He added.

The coach however, expressed displeasure over a goal scored by Chiamaka Madu that was disallowed, describing it as a human error, if it is confirmed that it was a good goal.

He appealed for the match to be shown to the world, to find out what actually transpired during the match because the disallowed goal would be the fifth cancelled out this season thus depriving his team of valuable points.

“We scored a goal, and I think that match should be shown to the world. The goal should be shown because I’m not a referee, so I’ll want to watch the game again.

“Let us see it, so we don’t just rush into making decisions. If it is a good goal, then I will take it as a human error but how long will we continue to see match officials deny us points”.

“For the fifth time this season, we have had a valid goal disallowed, this is not a game that we should have lost.” Ogunbote said

IBENEGBU BOOST FOR WARRI WOLVES

Warri Wolves Football Club received a boost during the week when attacking midfielder, Ikechukwu Ibenegbu returned from a long span injury he sustained in Bizerte, Tunisia in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup and will be available for selection against Lobi Stars on Wednesday in Katsina Ala.

Ibenegbu popularly known as mosquito will thus feature for the first time for the Warri based team in the domestic league and this will help the team in no small way as they look forward to consolidate their position in the league.

Speaking before the team travelled to Katsina Ala on Monday, Ibenegbu who is a member of the national beach soccer team expressed his joy that he is back to action to help his team.

The former Heartland midfielder who switched to Warri Wolves at the beginning of the season said he is also happy because Warri Wolves will play host to Heartland on Sunday at the Warri City Stadium.

“I am happy to be back to play in the league. Football is what I know and to be on the side line nursing injury is something one cannot stand but I thank God that I am back to help my team. I am also aware that we are playing Heartland on Sunday and for me, it is going to be an interesting match. I spent quite some time with that team and to play against them will be fantastic. ”

Ibenegbu also commended his team mates for doing a good work, presently, occupying the fourth place in the Globacom league with 17 points and believed the team can do more.

” I am happy that they were able to get where they are in the league. They have done well and I know we can still do more. If the Coach picks me, I will do my best to lift the team.” said Ibenegbu.

Federation Cup: Sanusi commends States

NFF Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi has praised the Football Associations of the 36 States and the Federal Capital
Territory for concluding their State preliminaries of the 2014 Federation Cup competition on Sunday, 4th May, as scheduled.

“The NFF is happy with the States for complying with our directives and concluding their Federation Cup competitions on schedule. Thi will enable us to keep strictly to the timetable and conclude the competition on the date earlier announced,” Sanusi stated.

Sanusi however wondered why the Benue State Football Association would insist on taking the final match between Lobi Stars and Apa United to extra time when the rules of the competition are clear.

“We don’t understand why they decided on extra time, instead of penalties straight-away as the rules say. This matter will be
investigated.”

With the States preliminaries concluded, all is set for the national preliminaries, with the Rookies’ clash coming up on 13th and 14th May.

ALL THE RESULTS

FCT (FC Abuja 0 FRSC 1);

Bauchi (Wikki Tourists 2 Young Elephants 1);

Edo (Bendel Insurance 1 Dynamite Force 0);

Cross River (Leopards 5 Atlantic 4: penalties after 1-1);

Ondo (Sunshine Stars 3 Indigen FC 0);

Abia (Enyimba 1 Abia Warriors 0);

Ogun (Gateway 2 Remo Stars 0);

Imo (Heartland 2 Baton 0);

Enugu (Rangers 5 Ingas 4); Oyo (Crown 6 3SC 5, after penalties);

Zamfara (Dallatu 1 Mafara United 0);

Anambra (Okagbue Academy 1 Ikpeazu 0);

Niger (Niger Tornadoes 3 Tornadoes Feeder 1);

Lagos (First Bank 3 AS Racine 4, after penalties);

Ekiti (Ekiti United 5 JKF Boys 4);

Kebbi (Zara Studio 4 Jega United 2, after penalties);

Rivers (Sharks 6 Dolphins 7, after penalties);

Benue (Lobi 1 Apa United 1; unresolved);

Adamawa (Banani FC);

Jigawa (Golden Stars 2 CBN Cashless 0);

Yobe (Desert Stars);

Borno (El-Kanemi Warriors 1 El-Kanemi Babes 0);

Ebonyi (Ebonyi United 4 Bright Star 0);

Gombe (Yarmalight 1 Gombe United 3);

Nasarawa (Nasarawa United 3 Police Machine 1);

Katsina (Spotlights 2 Dan Buran 0);

Plateau (Plateau United 5 Giwa 4, after penalties);

Sokoto (Sokoto North 1 Liverpool 0);

Kwara (Kwara United 5 ABS 6, after penalties);

Kano (Kano Pillars 4 Sky Academy 1);

Taraba (Jalingo United 1 FC Taraba 2);

Delta (Warri Wolves 1 Bobbies 0);

Osun (Prime 1 Ajiroba 0);

Kogi (Kogi United 3 Lokoja 2);

Akwa Ibom (Akwa United 1 Ibom Youth 0);

Kaduna (Ranch Bees 3 Kaduna United 1);

Bayelsa (Bayelsa United 4 Nembe City 5, after penalties).

WOMEN: Edo (Edo Gus 2 Martins White 1);

Ondo (Sunshine Queens 4 Rising Queens Academy 0);

Lagos (FC Robo 3 COD United 0)

Sharks’ Tams expects good outing against Crown

Sharks FC new recruit Tammy Tams is looking forward to a good outing today against Crown fc if he is given the nod to play a role in the week four encounter in one of the double headers in Port Harcourt.

Tams who is on his second missionary journey to the club haven played for Sharks in the 2009/2010 season with two goals to his credit in eleven appearances also promised to pay coach Gbenga Ogunbote with goals for the confidence reposed in him.

“Actually now am hopeful to make a good impact in the game because even my head coach is expecting so much from me and I believe by the grace of God I will score goals for him because that was why he (coach Ogunbote) recruited”. Tams said

Sharks has been able to score just once this season and that was in the one-nil victory over Lobi Stars in week two ,a scenario that Tams believe will put to an end today with a goal feast.

“Out of the three matches we have been able to score just one goal hopefully by today we will convert our chances and make the game very easy against Crown”.He added

GLO NPL Media Officer’s Forum Elects New Officers

China Acheru

The Media Officer’s Forum (MOF) of the Glo Premier League in a special meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday 28th January 2014 discussed the way forward for the 2013 / 2014 Glo Premier League season and other salient issues affecting the Forum and it was resolved as follows.

The Forum elected seven members to man the affairs of the body for a period of two years.

China Acheru of Dolphins FC was elected as Chairman of the forum to be assisted by Kano Pillars’ Media-Officer Idris Malikawa who was elected Vice Chairman of the Forum.

Cajetan Nkwopara of Heartland FC is the Secretary of the body, while Musa Elayo of Nasarawa Utd was elected as the Assistant Secretary

Sunshine FC of Akure’s Media-Officer Adewumi Ayodele Johnson is now the Treasurer.

Uwem Ekoh of Akwa Utd was also elected as the PRO of the MOF and last but not the least Mark Agbo of Lobi Stars will serve as Welfare Officer.

The Forum commended the League Management Company (LMC) led by Hon Nduka Irabor for putting machineries in motion for the smooth take off and success of the league.

The Forum also appealed to Chairmen/Boards of various clubs to pay serious attention to their Media Officers by giving them good incentives and good working environment to enhance their performance. This we at Newfanzone believe will go a long way towards enhancing the coverage of the League.

The MOF also talked about Security issues and other logistic challenges its members face in the process carry out their duties and this challenges can be met

The forum also commended members of the Nigerian team currently flying the Nigerian flag in South Africa.

ABS FC To Play Lobi Stars In Lokoja, As Club Congratulates Striker Bashir.

NNL side Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club of Ilorin have confirmed a top flight friendly encounter with premier league
side Lobi Stars of Makurdi this weekend at the confluence stadium in Lokoja North central Nigeria.

General Manager of the Saraki Club Alloy Chukwuemeka and the Vice Chairman of Lobi Stars Dominic Iorfa have agreed to
honour the encounter as part of preparations to get their clubs ready for the new season which kicks off in February.

The Match is billed to hold on saturday 1st February 2014 in Lokoja by 10am.

Meanwhile the Management of ABS FC have sent a congratulatory Message to its former striker and Enyimba forward Abdulrahman
Bashir for winning the top scorer of the Just concluded Glo premier league super 4 pre-season tournament.

The club praised Bashir for his brilliant performances and high level of discipline, describing him as a good Ambassador of ABS FC,
just as it extended the goodwill message of the club to his fellow team mate and former ABS winger Thomas Zenke and the
entire Enyimba team.

Abidoye Babatunde