ABIA WARRIORS FC, YOUTH TEAM PROGRESS IN FA CUP

ABIA WARRIORS FC

Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia have qualified for the final of this year’s Abia State FA Cup competition following a 3-1 victory over Enyimba Feeders of Abia.

The encounter, which took place at the Umuahia Township Stadium, saw homeboy, Chisom Chikatara score two goals in the first half including a penalty while Ndifreke Effiong netted the consolidator after Louis Okoro had pulled one back for the Enyimba boys.

ABIA WARRIORS FC

With the victory, Abia Warriors also qualified for the National Federation cup contest as the two finalists in the state FA Cup will represent each state at the National Federation Cup competition.

The Warriors will await their final opponents who will emerge after the semi-final encounter between the defending champions, Enyimba International of Aba and Abia Warriors Youth team. The semi final match was postponed by the Abia State Football Association because of Enyimba’s continental engagements.

To make it to the last four, Abia Warriors Youth Team narrowly edged their city rivals, Diamond International Football Academy 7-6 on penalties after scores stood 1-1 at the end of regulation time.

ABIA WARRIORS DOWN DOLPHINS 2-1 IN UMUAHIA

Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia defeated Dolphins of Port-Harcourt 2-1 in a rain-delayed, rescheduled week 2 Glo Premier League encounter at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

The game was still goalless on Wednesday when centre referee, Marcus Bwashi from the Bauchi Referees Council called it off after the first 45 minutes following a heavy downpour which rendered the pitch unplayable, with the referee announcing that the second half will be played the following morning.

ABIA WARRIORS FC

When eventually play resumed on Thursday both sides battled hard for the points but the goals refused to come until the 70th minute when Ndifreke Effiong, who scored twice in Abia Warriors’ 2-1 win over Dolphins last season in Umuahia, opened his account this season with a curler near the post.

Twelve minutes later, The Warriors doubled their lead as Chisom Chikatara netted the second but former Abia Warriors striker, Emeka Atulomah pulled one back for the Garden City outfit in the injury time to make the scoreline more respectable.

Ladan Bosso, photo credit ladanbosso.blogspot.com

In his reaction, Abia Warriors Technical Adviser Isa Ladan Bosso expressed gratitude to God for the victory and commended his boys for withstanding the Dolphins onslaught as the game lasted.

He however, lamented the goal conceded by his team in the last minutes of injury time and noted that it was as a result of lack of concentration by his defenders.

Bosso described Dolphins as a good side but said that the better side won. On his own Stanley Eguma, who led Dolphins to Umuahia, described the match as a good game, noting that it could have gone either way.

ABIA WARRIORS PITCH SET FOR NEW SEASON

As the 2014/2015 Nigeria Professional Football League gets under way this weekend across the nation Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia say their newly renovated home ground is now ready to host Premier
League games in the Abia State capital.

Chairman of the club, Chief Emeka Inyama disclosed this after conducting members of the League Management Committee (LMC) inspection team round the Umuahia Township Stadium and the club’s ultra-modern secretariat in Umuahia.

Chief Inyama told the inspection team led by veteran sportswriter and CAF member, Paul Bassey that the club is run with the highest international standard, adding that the pitch was re-grassed and is now lush green to ensure quality and good football.

ABIA WARRIORS PITCH SET FOR NEW SEASON

According to him, Abia Warriors remain one of the few clubsides in the country that is not indebted to the players, officials and staff, promising that the standard will be sustained in the new season.

Responding, Paul Bassey expressed satisfaction with what they saw but insisted that the final approval will come from the LMC, based on their report.

Sports Bassey, as he is popularly called, commended the management of Abia Warriors for running a good team in its debut Premier League season and hoped they will not relent.

On the renovated pitch, the leader of delegation said he was satisfied with what they have seen but said there was still room for improvement.

“The inspection is an effort to put you people in shape. Most of the venues in Nigeria still lack the basic facilities. You may just qualify to represent Nigeria at the continental level, so we want to
prepare you in advance and give some advice. For our findings, we will not make it public, the LMC will decide. But I am happy with what I have seen. Some structures are in place some of them can be bettered, some improved but the basics are there, so it’s fine”, he told newsmen.

ABIA WARRIORS/ENUGU RANGERS MATCH WAS PEACEFUL

Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the media officer of Rangers International FC of Enugu, in regards to their week 28 Glo Premier League encounter with Abia Warriors at the Umuahia Township stadium in which he claimed that the team was molested at the end of the game which ended goalless.

The truth is that the match officials demonstrated clear biased officiating against Abia Warriors and did everything to frustrate every goal bound move of the homeside while also allowing Rangers players the freedom to engage in time wasting techniques and manhandling of our players.

Abia Warriors of Umuahia striker Onyekachi Peter

On at least three occasions, the referee denied Abia Warriors clear cut spot kick opportunities and capped it by disallowing a validly good goal scored by Osas Idehen mild-way in the second-half much to the bewilderment of everybody at the stadium, except, of course, the match referees and their Rangers allies.

Despite the obvious provocation, Abia Warriors fans maintained their cool at the end of the game while security agents ensured nobody was molested as Rangers team as a whole and the match officials peacefully walked to their dressing rooms without any molestation.

It is therefore, surprising when Rangers officials wrote that they were molested after the game. This fabrication is perhaps a way to divert attention so that they will go scot free with their antics.

Enugu is just about one hour drive from Umuahia and so it was not surprising that Rangers fans stormed Umuahia with a large number of their fans and the tight security ensured that the atmosphere remained peaceful, before, during and even after the game.

The Rangers match was Abia Warriors’ 14th home game of the season and no incident of any type has ever been recorded even when the result did not favour the home side.

Our promise is that teams visiting Umuahia for a game with Abia Warriors will continue to enjoy the best of hospitality as has been our trademark.

LMC APPROVES UMUAHIA TOWNSHIP STADIUM FOR PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES.

The League Management Company (LMC), organizers of the Glo Premier League has granted its approval for the renovated Umuahia Township Stadium to host Premier League games this season.

A letter signed by the Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar, dated 25th February, 2014 and addressed to the Chairman of Abia Warriors, Chief Emeka Inyama, said the “Umuahia Township Stadium met the required standard to host Premier League Matches” following a recent inspection by the LMC carried out on the stadium.

In expressing its pleasure over the development, LMC reminded the club that it will conduct routine sports checks during the season to ensure that minimum criteria for facilities, security and crowd control were sustained and congratulated Abia Warriors for passing the test as it debuts in the Premier League.

Abia Warriors Football Club gained promotion to compete in the Glo Premier league last season and will be hosting Kaduna United at the stadium on the 9th of March 2014 in its first match at the elite league.

LMC APPROVES UMUAHIA TOWNSHIP STADIUM FOR PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES.

The League Management Company (LMC), organizers of the Glo Premier League has granted its approval for the renovated Umuahia Township Stadium to host Premier League games this season.

A letter signed by the Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar, dated 25th February, 2014 and addressed to the Chairman of Abia Warriors, Chief Emeka Inyama, said the “Umuahia Township Stadium met the required standard to host Premier League Matches” following a recent inspection by the LMC carried out on the stadium.

In expressing its pleasure over the development, LMC reminded the club that it will conduct routine sports checks during the season to ensure that minimum criteria for facilities, security and crowd control were sustained and congratulated Abia Warriors for passing the test as it debuts in the Premier League.

Abia Warriors Football Club gained promotion to compete in the Glo Premier league last season and will be hosting Kaduna United at the stadium on the 9th of March 2014 in its first match at the elite league.