FC Ifeanyi Ubah are proud to announce the signing of Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Wasiu Jimoh, Ajunwa Onyebuchi, Tope Orelope, and Adah Stephen. The players were unveiled Sunday afternoon at the team’s hotel in Ibadan ahead of the NPFL week 24 fixtures against 3SC. Speaking at the short unveiling ceremony, Stand In captain, Elu WILSON backed the […]
Wasiu Jimoh converted a penalty five minutes before half time to condemn 10-man Rivers United to a 1-0 defeat to Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) in a closely-fought Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) contest in Ibadan on Saturday.
United were reduced to ten men after Ofem Inah, who was making his season’s debut in the absence of the suspended Ayobami Asekunowo, received a straight red card for upending Nojeem Olukokun in the box.
He was the last man and had to go.
United should have been at least two goals up before Jimoh scored in the 40th minute as Chukwunonso Okonkwo and Guy Kuemian wasted excellent chances inside the opening quarter hour at a frenzied Lekan Salami Stadium.
Okonkwo, a live wire all evening, was extremely unfortunate not to open the scoring in the 19th minute as he watched a swerving low drive canon off the post with the Shooting Stars goalkeeper, Emmanuel Fabiyi beaten.
The hosts’ only real chance of the half (before they eventually took the lead), arrived on the half hour when Sunday Rotimi easily saved Bright Babaunde’s long range effort.
Real clear cut opportunities were few and faw between after the break with Yusuf Jaiyeola wasting the visitors’ best chance to level matters with a header which he planted widein the 73rd minute following an exemplary delivery by substitute, Daniel Israel.
The 3SC head coach, Kadiri Ikhana was full of charitable words for his vanquished opponents describing them as a ‘great force’.
“No doubt about it (Rivers United is a good team).If you combine Sharks and Dolphins FC (both clubs were merged to form Rivers United), you will have a great force.
“By the time the team blends, they will play better than this; I have no doubts about it,” Ikhana told RIVERS UNITED MEDIA after the game.
Eguma also attempted to pick positives from the defeat, singling out the penalty conceded just before half time as the only blot on his side’s report sheet.
“If you exclude the infringement that led to the penalty to 3SC, I think my players lived up to expectations.
“We failed to convert the chances that came our way.
“My players performed above average but we failed to take our chances.
“We have been scoring in previous matches and it’s just unfortunate that we could not score today.
“It’s one of those things in football,” he said.
The win lifts 3SC up to 8th place on the NPFL standings with nine points from five matches while United dropped to 9th with nine points from seven matches.
Kennedy Boboye of Abia Warriors and Frederick Obomate of Rivers United have been named winners of the Manager and Player’s awards respectively in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) by the League Bloggers Awards (LBA).
Both men emerged as top performers for the month under review after impressive team and individual outings in the top division in Nigeria.
Boboye was clearly the frontrunner in the race for the manager’s award for February after masterminding an unbeaten run for his club, Abia Warriors, from the dugout. That run without a loss included a 1-0 win on the road at Heartland in the southeast derby as well as a 1-1 draw to new boys, Ikorodu United, at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos.
He also led Abia Warriors to edge a plucky El-Kanemi Warriors 2-1 on February 24 at home to complete their unbeaten streak last month. Boboye edged a field of managers in Fidelis Ilechukwu of MFM FC, Godwin Uwua of Lobi Stars and Mohammed Baba Ganaru of Kano Pillars.
Obomate had to fend off the trio of Michael Olaha of Abia Warriors, Wasiu Jimoh of Shooting Stars, Anthony Okpotu of Lobi, who were closely challenging for the player’s award.
The Rivers United midfielder scored three goals in three games and chipped in an assist to put himself ahead of the pack in contention for the February award. He also had telling contributions in the four goals his club scored in the month under review.
Boboye and Obomate will be presented their awards as manager and player respectively for February by the LBA on a later date.
The League Bloggers Awards (LBA) has named four players and four managers as its nominees for the Player and Manager in the Nigeria Professional Football League in the month of February.
In the player’s category, Rivers United attacking midfielder Frederick Obomate, Anthony Okpotu of Lobi Stars, Michael Olaha of Abia Warriors and 3SC hat-trick hero, Wasiu Jimoh, are in the running for the February edition of the LBA.
Obomate has scored three in three games for Rivers United winning them six points from nine while Jimoh’s three goals put new boys, Mountain and Fire Miracles (MFM) FC, to the sword earning 3SC their first full points of the season.
Okpotu has scored twice in three appearances in the month under review and helped his Lobi team notch up three points in their 2-1 win over Sunshine Stars.
Olaha has featured thrice for Abia Warriors this term and all three from the bench in which he scored twice against El-Kanemi Warriors and Heartland. His goals have secured six points for Warriors so far.
The quartet of Fidelis Ilechukwu of MFM FC, Kennedy Boboye of Abia Warriors, Mohammed Baba Ganaru of Kano Pillars and Godwin Uwua of Lobi Stars will tussle for the manager’s award.
Boboye has guided Warriors to top spot after they claimed seven points from nine, including three points from a 1-0 win on the road against Heartland while Baba Ganaru, Ilechukwu and Uwua have helped their teams to six points each. Unlike Baba Ganaru’s Kano Pillars, the teams of Ilechukwu and Uwua have won a game apiece on the road.
The winners of both categories will be announced later this week.
The Nominees
PLAYERS
Fred Obomate (Rivers United)
Wasiu Jimoh (3SC)
Anthony Okpotu (Lobi Stars)
Michael Olaha (Abia Warriors)
MANAGERS
Kennedy Boboye (Abia Warriors)
Godwin Uwua (Lobi Stars)
Fidelis Ilechukwu (MFM FC)
Mohammed Baba Ganaru (Kano Pillars)
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)
Wasiu Jimoh from the Kwara Football Academy plundered four goals as the Flying Eagles hammered Amakson Academy of Abuja 7-1 in a test match on Thursday.
Jimoh has been a fringe player in the Nigeria U20 team, but in the absence of some of the established stars ‘Baba Kwara’ grabbed his chance to make a big statement ahead of a final qualifier against Lesotho on August 16 in Kaduna.
He opened scoring after 16 minutes when he jabbed home from a right cross by Ifeanyi Nweke.
He then made it 2-0 on 32 minutes with a long-range pile driver, before he completed his hat-trick in the 64th minute with yet another superb shot from distance.
He grabbed his fourth goal in the 78th minute with yet another classy effort.
Amakson first appeared to be up for a fight because after 36 minutes their lively skipper Isaac Udoh pulled a goal back with the Flying Eagles then leading 2-0.
It was a sublime finish by the impressive Udoh as he went past two defenders before slotting beyond goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo.
Thereafter, Taiwo Awoniyi and Sulaiman Abdullahi missed glaring chances, before Chisom Eze put the Nigeria U20 team 3-1 ahead on 62 minutes with a sweet finish.
After Jimoh fired his third and fourth goals, substitute Abubakar Lawal increased the tally to 6-1 after he was set up by Abdullahi.
The hard working Abdullahi completed the rout on the dot of 90 minutes from the penalty spot after Bernard Bulbwa was felled inside the box.
Flying Eagles vs Amakson Academy
Olorunleke Ojo – Ifeanyi Nweke, Mustapha Abdullahi (Adebayor Ademuluwa 46), Wilfred Ndidi (Rowland Silas 88), Zaharadeen Bello – Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akinjide Idowu 46), Wasiu Jimoh (Clement Ogbobe Junior 80), Chisom Eze, Obinna Nwobodo (Bernard Bulbwa 76) – Taiwo Awoniyi (Abubakar Lawal 76), Sulaiman Abdullahi
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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