GLO NPFL: Dolphins May Register Weli

Christian Weli, the Port Harcourt based rookie may begin to play League games for Dolphins as the second round of the league resumes on Saturday.

Weli, a home grown talent was registered to play in the Federation Cup at the start of the season and featured in two games in the competition.

His performances in two games against FC Jalingo in Makurdi and Niger Tornadoes Feeders in Ado Eki were spectacular and he may be ripe for the big occasion.

Dolphins have had problems in midfield ever since the start of the season with Tijani Adamu, Victor Alegbe and Ayo Saka in and out of injuries and Emeka Atuloma falling out of line in recent times.

With coaches of the team working around the club to strengthen the squad ahead of the League’s July 31 deadline, Weli may be number one on the list of players to be registered in the mid season transfer window.

Christian Weli

Already the club has penciled down changes in the central defence area, midfield and center forward positions.

Weli was signed on by Dolphins at the start of the current season

Dolphins lose in Akure

A controversial goal in added time by Prince Aggrey gave Sunshine Stars a 2-1 win over Dolphins in the league on Sunday evening.

It was a game Dolphins drew last season and when Chiwendu Ali put the Pride of Rivers ahead after 37 minutes it seemed like another day in the office for the 2011 league winners.

Ayo Saka turned round his marker in midfield and passed to Victor Alegbe who in turn freed Ifeanyi Egwim on the left.

Egwim’s cross who struck in ferociously by Chiwendu in only his second game for Dolphins after joining from National Division One side, Go Round FC.

Two minutes later, referee, John Charles called a penalty for Sunshine after a Dolphins defender was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, but Tunji Adeniyi shot the kick wide.

At half time, Sunshine Stars coach, Kennedy Boboye brought in Dele Olorundare and he made his impact felt two minutes later.

Joseph Douhadji failed to head clear a cross into the Dolphins area, Olorundare latched on the loose ball and found Adeniyi who controlled well before slotting home behind Sunday Rotimi in goal for Dolphins.

With the game in added time, Sunday Rotimi failed to take care of a cross into his area and Prince Aggrey scored though it seemed he handled the ball before turning round to score, a glaring hand ball both the referee and his assistant missed.

Dolphins’ players protested the goal for two minutes before restarting the game.

Stanley Eguma was livid at the end of the game, blaming the referee for the loss

“The referee made us to lose this game. The whole world has seen it. Even under live television this happened. We have to do something about this because it is not the best,” Eguma said.

Kennedy Akinboboye of Sunshine Stars described it as a very difficult game but that he noticed the Dolphins players got complacent thinking they had escaped with a draw before he punished them with game changing substitutions

“It was difficult playing against a very experienced side. I never gave up. I brought in some people to push the attack and when I noticed Dolphins were relaxed thinking they had gotten a draw, we pushed up,” Boboye said.

Pyagbara, Alegbe Leave Dolphins

Two players, Christian Pyagbara and Victor Alegbe left the camp of the team yesterday and did not return with them to Port Harcourt after the Super 4 ended in Abuja.

Victor Alegbe played for Dolphins last season from Wikki Tourist and Christian Pyagbara who was at Sharks last year is on the verge of joining the CAF Confederation Cup campaigners.

After an above average showing at the Super 4, both players caught the eyes of the Flying Eagles (U20 team) coaches who requested that they stay back to join their team.

Pyagbara scored one goal for Dolphins at the Super 4, in the 4-1 loss to the Flying Eagles while Victor Alegbe did not get a goal.

Pyagbara Sharks fc of Portharcourt

Meanwhile, Dolphins returned to Port Harcourt on Monday but did go to their Elekahia Estate camp.

They stopped at the Greater Port Harcourt City where they camped before the Super 4 to continue their preparations for next weeks’ game in the CAF Confederation Cup against Leonas Vegetarianos of Equatorial Guinea.

Rotimi, Douhadji, Egwim Make Dolphins Confederation Cup Team

Dolphins Fc

Captain of Dolphins, Sunday Rotimi, Togolese born defender, Joseph Yaovi Douhadji and attacker, Ifeanyi Egwim are some of the players registered by Dolphins for the CAF Confederation Cup.

Dolphins start their campaign on the continent on the 14th of February in Malabo against Leonas Vegetarianos FC and have already submitted a list of twenty two players to the Confederation of Africa Football, CAF.

Sixteen players from the team of last season will join five newly acquired players to do battle in the Confederation Cup.

Victor Ezuruike tries to stop an Enyimba player in the League last season

Sunday Rotimi is the only goalkeeper returning from the squad of last season while defenders who are returning to the team are Chidiebere Okolie, Joseph Douhadji, Ayobami Asekunowo, Tobins Zikalla, Jonathan Zikiye and Victor Ezuruike.

The returning midfielders are Tijani Adamu, Tasiu Lawal, Hope Fiberesima, Victor Alegbe, Emeka Atuloma and Isiaka Olawale while attackers are Chigozie Ihunda, Omo Johnson and Ifeanyi Egwim.

The names of the newly registered players will be made available to the press next week.

Dolphins Get Rare Point In Akure

Dolphins battled to a scoreless game in a keenly contested encounter at the Akure Stadium on Sunday.

Starting without three regulars, Victor Ezuruike, Emmanuel Olowo and Ifeanyi Egwim, Dolphins were off to a bright start as Emem Eduok got some space in the box but was pulled down by Jude Ehitongwa but the Center referee waved play on.

Ibrahim Ajani also presented Dele Olorundare with a great chance to score in the 21st minute with a sublime cross but Sunday Rotimi was well positioned to make a save.

Emem Eduok – Dolphins FC

Dolphins soaked up most of the pressure coming from Sunshine Stars and went into the break scoreless.

Three minutes into the second half, Prince Aggrey was brought down in the box and the referee wasted no time to call a penalty which was well saved by Sunday Rotimi.

Stanley Eguma brought in Bolaji Sarkin and Isiaka Olawale for Victor Alegbe and Tijani Adamu respectively in the 67th and 75th minutes.

Emem Eduok had a chance to kill the game when he made one of his trademark runs on the left but was pulled down by Paul Onobi, the referee looking away once again.

With five minutes of added time at the end of the game, Dolphins held on to record its first point in Akure since 2003.

GLO NPL, Dolphins lose at Crown

Despite going one goal up early in the game, Dolphins failed to hang on and lost 2-1 to home side, Crown FC.

Stanley Eguma decided to start with a similar team to the one that drew 1-1 at Heartland in week one, with Emem Eduok the only change as he replaced Tijani Adamu.

Dolphins showed early promise, taking the game to the home side and after just eleven minutes played in the game, Emem Eduok’s loss cross from the left found Ifeanyi Egwim in the box.

Egwim back heeled the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper, Michael Useru to silence the previously vocal Ibadan crowd.

After that goal, Dolphins could have scored more in the first half but profligacy on the part of Ifeanyi Egwim, Emem Eduok and Fred Okwara ensured that Prime were kept in the game.

One of such occasions was in the 37th minute when Emem Eduok outran his marker and faced the goalkeeper, but his tame shot failed to beat Useru.

In the second half, the homers took the game to Dolphins and their efforts paid off in the 52nd minute.

Lax marking in the box saw Onyekachi Okafor get a loose ball and he volleyed beyond the reach of Austin Brown in Dolphins goal.

Crown’s gaffer, Lawrence Akpokona at this point threw in Waheed Bello for Christopher Obiora and they continued to raid the Dolphins area but it was the visitors who had the clearer cut chances.

In the 69th minute, Fred Okwara connected a sublime cross from Ifeanyi Egwim but his effort went wide.

Two minutes later, Victor Alegbe who had just come in for Isiaka Olawale found space in the Crown box and freed Emem Eduok who blasted wide with just the goalkeeper to beat.

In another moment of loose defending by Dolphins, Onyekachi Okafor controlled a cross into the box, shook off Chidiebere Okolie and shot behind Brown for the second and winning goal of the day.

Lawrence Akpokona said it was a big thing to win over Dolphins because they are the more experienced side with better players.

“A lot of my players have never played in the top division before so it’s a big thing that we won today,” Akpokona said.

“After we conceded the goal, I told them not to panic and take things easy and I am happy with the win.”

Dolphins’ defender, Joseph Douhadji was very depressed after the loss.

“I am just sad that we lost a game we should have won. Our players should understand that we need to win games like these. I am not happy we lost this game.

“Our players must sit up. We must all work together for the good of the team. I am not happy. We should not have conceded those goals,” Douhadji said.

Dolphins grab Senegalese defender

As part of efforts to build a strong team capable of returning the club to its glory years, Dolphins have completed the registration of Senegalese central defender, Mendy Xavier.

Xavier last played for ASFA Yennega of Burkina Faso and only recently crossed over to Dolphins in the off season.

“We cannot say we scouted him because an agent brought him to Port Harcourt and after the coaches tried him out they saw the potentials and began to work on his papers,” Media Officer of the club, China Acheru said.

Dolphins have also concluded the registration formalities of Ivorien box to box midfielder, Alhassane Dosso.

Dosso played for the club between 2005 and 2008 before joined Sharks and then moving to Norway.

Other players who have sealed deals with the club ahead of the game against Crown this weekend are Victor Alegbe, a midfielder from Wikki Tourists as well as Ayobanmi Asekunuwo, a central defender from Wikki Tourists.

“The idea is to get a big squad with a lot of quality back up. This is what the coaches have been trying to do and we believe we will continue to build our squad as the weeks go by.”

Dolphins started the season on a good note drawing 1-1 against Heartland in Owerri on match day one; their first ever point in Owerri.

Mendy and Dosso signed one year contracts with Dolphins while Alegbe and Ayobanmi were taken on one year loan deals from Wikki Tourists

Alhassane Dosso returns to Dolphins FC

Box to box midfielder, Alhassane Dosso will wear the jerseys of Dolphins FC in the new season as he has returned to the fold.

Ivorien born Dosso joined Dolphins from Isia Wazi of Abidjan in 2005 alongside two others, Mamadou Toure and Maurice Bassole.

After three seasons in which he won the FA Cup twice, he moved to Sharks and then had a five year stint in Norway with Lillestrom where he managed just twelve games in 2009/10 football season.

He moved to Strommen on loan in 2010 and played twenty four games in his one year with them before moving to Kongsvinger where he had forty eight games in three seasons.

“I decided to return to Dolphins where I started my career outside Ivory Coast,” Dosso said.

“I believe I still have something to offer to them and I will give my best.

“I remember good times I had with this club like getting to the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2005 and winning the FA Cup twice with the team in 2006 and 2007.

“I believe if we work together like we did back in those days, we can return this club to winning ways,” Dosso said.

Dosso’s return to Dolphins will certainly strengthen the side’s midfield that already has Emeka Atuloma and other new boys, Victor Alegbe from Wikki Tourists and Adamu Tijani from Kaduna United.