Robbery Attack: Club Owners Sympathize With Kano Pillars

Club Owners To Send Delegation To Visit Injured Players in Hospital.

The reported robbery attack on the players and officials of kano pillars Football club on Thursday along Abaji- Lokoja highway on their way to Owerri to honour the star match of the Glo Premier league opener against Heartland FC has been described as shocking and unfortunate.

The Association of Nigeria Premier League Club Chairmen and Managers (club Owners) in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja and jointly signed by the Ag. Chairman Barr. Isaac Danladi and the Ag. Secretary Alloy Chukwuemeka sympathized with the Management, coaches and players of the club over the sad incident.

The Association specifically thanked God that no life was lost and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured players who sustained various degrees of injuries from the gun shots of the hoodlums.

Club Owners used the medium to urge the League Management company to urgently activate the insurance policy that cover the players in the league inorder to ensure that the affected players get the maximum benefits.

The Association stated further that the next meeting of the Club Owners would discuss the general travelling arrangements of Clubs and seek ways of encouraging Clubs partnership with airline operators for long distant trips, as part of the Club Owners peer review mechanism amongst clubs in the League.

They called on security agencies to rise up to the challenges posed by armed bandits along our major highways and ensure that those attackers of the Kano pillars bus are apprehended as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile the Association have planned to despatch a special delegation to Lokoja to visit the injured players who are on admission at the Federal Medical center Lokoja. The statement added.

Supersand Eagles To Play Ghana Today

Nigeria’s Supersand Eagles will play Ghana’s Beach Soccer National Team on Friday in their first outing at the Power Horse Invitational Tournament in Durban, South Africa.

The Nigeria delegation, led by NFF 1st Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi, arrived in Durban on Wednesday morning.

The 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup quarter-finalists will file out against the Ghanaians at 3.30pm South Africa time (2.30pm Nigeria time) on Friday.

In other matches, Morocco takes on Cote d’Ivoire from 1pm SA time; Senegal will clash with Mozambique from 2pm and hosts South Africa take the beach against Seychelles at 4.45pm.

The three-day tournament continues on Saturday with the clash of the loser of South Africa/Seychelles against the loser of Morocco/Cote d’Ivoire at 1pm.

   

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OWU, MatchRoom To Sponsor Kwara Utd Awards

Nigeria’s leading sportswear brand, OWU Sportswear, and foremost Lagos-based sports PR Agency, MatchRoom, will organise the first-ever Kwara United end-of-season awards.

Tunji Brown, CEO of OWU Sportswear, revealed this in Lagos on Wednesday.

“We’re proud to be kit producers of a top side like Kwara United and our desire is to boost the brand.

“Sponsoring the Kwara United monthly and end-of-season awards is OWU’s attempt to boost its partnership with the club and the people of Kwara.

“The project will be driven by sports PR agency MatchRoom, which has not only demonstrated its understanding of the sports industry, but is also the power behind leading awards in the country like the annual League Bloggers Awards (LBA) for the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and Sports Brands Nigeria Awards (SBNA),” Brown told supersport.com.

supersport.com learnt that the winner of the maiden Kwara United Player of the month awards will be decorated at the end of March.

Kwara United begin their return to the elite class with a road trip match at Dolphins on Sunday.

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Enyimba To Boycott Akwa Utd Tie

Supersport.com can confirm that none of Enyimba's old players numbering about 20 will feature against Akwa United.

Enyimba are expected to host the Promise Keepers in Sunday’s match day 1 clash of the Glo Premier League season at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba.

An influential player who pleaded anonymity said his teammates have decided to boycott the season’s first match to protest non-payment of their sign on fee as well as match bonuses.

“We, the old players are on strike, we stopped training on Wednesday to protest management refusal to pay us the remainder of last season sign on fee as well as 15 match bonuses.

“We’ve decided to stay away from the encounter against Akwa United on Sunday in Aba.

“We chose this path to awaken the management to their responsibility to the players, we reasoned that if we didn’t insist on no pay no play the management won’t take us serious and will continue to treat us as fools.

“I can assure you that all the old players are united on this course and have resolved to remain steadfast until we receive 100% payment.

“Management promised to pay off the indebtedness before the continental game against the Beninese side, Buffles du Borgou.

“We showed unusual understanding by playing the game without a dime thereafter nobody from the management has shown up with the outstanding entitlements.

“The new players are the ones training and are most likely to prosecute the match against Akwa United.

“Management does not owe the new ones so they don’t have any reason not to play the match.

“We wish them the very best in the encounter but we’re not going to play any part in game except the management makes a u-turn between now and match day to pay us off,” said the unnamed source to supersport.com.

Chairman of the club, Felix Anyansi-Agwu was not available for comment on the players position.

The Peoples Elephant have crucial Caf Champions League clash against the Egyptian side, Smouha Sporting Club in the weekend of March 13-15 while the reverse fixture holds in Alexandria, Egypt at the weekend of April 3-5.

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LMC Calls Off Heartland, Pillars Game

The League Management Company (LMC) has postponed the opening game of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) between champions Kano Pillars and Heartland.

Heartland were scheduled to host the champions this Saturday, but the game is now off after the Kano club were attacked by armed robbers along Abaji-Lokoja road on Thursday afternoon.

Five key players -- Gambo Muhammed, Eneji Otekpa, Adamu Murtala, Reuben Ogbonnaya and Ubong Ekpai -- were those left injured from the incident.

"The League Management Company has expressed shock at the news of the armed robbery attack on the Kano Pillars Football Club contingent along the Abuja-Lokoja Road and consequently ordered an indefinite postponement of their Match Day 1 fixture in Owerri against Heartland FC," the opening part of the statement from the league body said.

Chief Operating Officer of the league company, Salihu Abubakar, condemned the attack on Kano Pillars.

He added that the other nine matches of game week one will proceed as scheduled with the two matches in Port Harcourt scheduled to go live on SuperSport this Saturday.

"While we sympathise with the club and strongly condemn this crime, clubs are advised that the Match Day 1 fixtures will be held as scheduled except the matches in Port Harcourt, which will now serve as a double-header and will be televised live on Saturday,” Abubakar said.

Sharks face Sunshine Stars in the early kickoff on Saturday while Dolphins will play hosts to Kwara United in the second game of the doubleheader at the Liberation Stadium. Both games are live on SuperSport Select.

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Emordi Grateful To God After Robbery Attack

The bus carrying Kano Pillars FC to a Nigeria Professional Football League away fixture against Heartland FC came under fire on Thursday afternoon.

The 18-man squad was headed to Owerri for the week 1 fixture of the 2014/15 season when it was attacked at Abaji, according to technical adviser of the club Felix Okey Emordi.

The five players injured during the attack are Super Eagles striker Gambo Muhammed, former Dream Team star Eneji Otekpa, defensive trojan Adamu Murtala, ex Elkanemi Warriors defender Reuben Ogbonnaya and wing wizard Ubong Ekpai.

“We ran into them and immediately they opened fire. One of them opened the door and forced it open.They then shot the boys, of which five were injured,” Emordi said.

“We thank Almighty God for there was no life lost, because it could have been lost. Immediately after the men of the underworld pulled the trigger we ran into the bush and we started coming to the hospital.”

SL10 reporter Abayomi Ademetan, at the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja  where the injured players were taken to, learnt that the armed robbers collected ransoms from players of the CAF Champions League campaigners.

“As they were shooting, they were asking for money and valuables. The boys co-operated with them and ran for their dear lives. I still thank God for sparing the lives of the players,” coach Emordi continued.

In the past, teams travelling on the road to prosecute league matches have been victims of the men of the underworld.

“It’s a common phenomenon in the country. I’m not condemning the efforts of our law enforcement officers. They are trying their best. They need to do more to fish out the criminals.”

SL10 reports that Gambo Mohammed was the most affected of the injured players as he was groaning in pains and might be out of action for a long time.

Eneji Otekpa, Adamu Murtala, Reuben Ogbonnaya and Ubong Ekpai should be back to action in a couple of weeks.

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Glo Welcomes NPFL Clubs To New Season

Title sponsor of the Glo Premier League, Globacom, has sent a welcome message to all the clubs in the Premier League, their management, the League Management Company, fans and the Nigeria Football Federation as the new premier league season formally kicks off on Saturday.

“Last season was wonderful and the memory lingers. The entire stakeholders contributed positively towards the success. We look forward to an interesting 2014/2015 League season,” Globacom said in a statement in Lagos on Thursday.

It is a thing of joy to see that the Glo Premier league is growing in leaps and bounds and gradually working its way to become the number one in Africa,” Globacom added.

The telecommunications company enjoined the management of Clubs to institutionalise training workshops for both the players and their coaches in order to keep them abreast of new rules and regulations governing the game.

The company also commends football fans for the complementary roles they played last season and urged them to do more and troop out in large numbers to the venues of league matches in order to keep the stadia alive.

“We also request the clubs to keep educating the fans on the need to shun violence at all times.  We urge them to provide adequate security for all stakeholders at the different stadia across the country,” Glo stated further.

The season’s fixtures drawn recently pitched Heartland FC against the reigning League Champions’ Pillars FC of Kano in the Opening Day game billed for Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri (now postponed) while new entrants into the elite league, Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, Kwara United FC of Ilorin, Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Gabros FC of Nnewi will seek to get results on their return to the premiership.

Globacom also congratulated the four Nigerian club sides participating in the 2015 CAF Continental Championships for their impressive results last weekend. The quartet of Enyimba of Aba, Warri Wolves, Kano Pillars and Dolphin of Port Harcourt all qualified for the next round of their various competitions.

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Confirmed: Tanzania Club Wants Keshi, Gives Friday Deadline

It’s now confirmed that Tanzanian football club, Azam FC, wants the services of ex- Nigerian international and former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, to take over the job Cameroonian, Joseph Omog was sacked at on Monday.

Azam FC are presently in this season’s CAF Champions League and they hope to prise Keshi away from Nigeria as the coach is still in talks with the Nigeria Football Federation over the renewal of his contract as the coach of the Super Eagles, but things have gone dicey between the association and the coach of recent.

According to reports reaching GidiSportlight, Keshi has been given a deadline of Friday, March 6, 2015 to reply the NFF over the new contract been handed him.

Friendly: Confluence Queens 2-2 Nasarawa Amazons | Match Report

A last-gasp free kick from Mary Olaitan salvaged a 2-2 draw for Confluence Queens as they held Nasarawa Amazons in a friendly match played on Wednesday at the Lokoja Confluence Stadium.

It was the best Confluence Queens deserved as they struggled for possession for most parts of the game, even though they went ahead in the third minute thanks to a piece of individual brilliance.

Ogunleye Kehinde found her way through Nasarawa Amazons' defense before slotting home to give her team an early advantage.

The 2012/13 Nigeria Women Premier League champions pressed for an inevitable equalizer with young winger Chinyere Igboamalu central to their move.

After being denied by Mercy Vincent a few minutes earlier, her mazy run found her enough space to stroke a ball across the penalty box that was gleefully tapped in by Stella Onyekachi after Oluchi Ezeji failed to deal with the cross.

And when substitute Oguchukwu Njoku beat the offside trap to silence the hosts in the 84th minute, it looked like Nasarawa Amazons would complete another brilliant pre season performance with a victory.

But dead ball specialist Mary Olaitan had other ideas at added time, as she ensured that both teams shared the spoils.

The former Sunshine Queens attacking midfielder scored with a brilliant last-gasp free kick.

Confluence Queens Starters: Vincent Mercy, Nwogu Chinyere, Rosemary Okoro, Amoo Bashirat, Olarewaju Tobiloba (c), Ezeji Oluchi, Aluko Mariam, Ogunleye Kehinde, Chioma Wogu, Carine Mbu Ndum, Ikeh Ginika

Nasarawa Amazons Starters: Ibijoke Sangonuga (c), Juliet Iorliam, Hauwa Abdullahi, Esther Victor, Ujunwa Nwakanma, Auguster Mene, Chinyere Igboamalu, Thereza, Winifred Eyebhoria, Josephine Mathias, Stella Onyekachi

Reserves: Uchenna Chukwu, Margaret Dike, Duru Joy, Rukayat Bello, Ugochukwu Njoku, Ugochi Emenayo, Adejoke Ejalonibu, Happiness Dauda, Chika Edeh, Chinaza Godwin, Kafayat Ajani, Bose Mabo, Habeebat Akinwande, Moje Oghiagbehvra

   Written By Futbal Galore

Kano Pillars Players Attacked, Shot, On Route To Owerri

This isn't a good news at this moment, the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) defending champions, Kano Pillars were attacked on their way to honor their league opener in Owerri.

SL10.ng put a call through to the media manager of Kano Pillars,Idris Malikawa and sounded very low, he said some of the players were shot.

"Yes it's true that the players were attacked at Abaji, some players were shot. Gambo Mohammed, Otekpa and a few others were shot. They are currently at a hospital in Lokoja,"Malikawa informed SL10.ng.

We (sl10.ng) shall confirm the names of the players and the current state of the players who are in the hospital.

Kano Pillars were to be the guest of Heartland at the Dan Anyim stadium in a week fixture of the NPFL 2013/2015.

SL10.ng just spoke to one of Kano Pillars players, Isaac Loute, and he informed that the team was attacked and some of the players were shot, but as we speak they are at a Federal hospital in Kogi State.

"We were attacked by armed robbers, they shot our players in the hand, and some were hit on the head," Isaac Loute told SL10.ng on phone.

"Gambo Mohammed, Otekpa Energy, Ekpai Ubong, Rubuen Ogbonaya who just joined Pillars from El-Kanemi Warriors, and then Muritala were all hit by bullets. Right now we are at the Federal hospital in Kogi," Loute said.

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