Emordi: Kano Pillars Have Nothing To Celebrate Yet

Kano Pillars head coach, Okey Emordi, has talked down on any form of celebrations on the recent good performance by the Nigerian Premier League champions in the CAF Champions League by both fans and players of his team.

Emordi believes that the Sai Masu Gida could have done better against Al-Malakia in the preliminary round of CAF Champion League in both legs.

"I thought we could have gotten more goals because in the first half we were lacking seriously most especially in goal scoring. We had opportunity to have scored about 2-3 goals in the first half," Emordi told media.
"The team is not a push over, they tried their best. They are just new intakes into this competition. This is their second appearance in the competition. I know as time goes on they will do better."

Emordi insist that Pillars have a long way to go to get into the group stages of the biggest club football competition on the continent. “Not yet uhuru” he insists.

"No, it is not yet uhuru until it is uhuru. You see we have a long way to go, not until we get to the group stage before we say we are going to do something. We still have one or two preliminary games to go. So, it is not yet uhuru," he said.

Meanwhile, spies have been sent to Morocco to watch their next opponents Moghreb Tetouan play and the coach is awaiting reports..

Warri Wolves Name Interim Coach

Warri Wolves have named Sam Okpodu as interim coach following the departure of Coach Paul Aigbogun to the United Kingdom for the NFF organised Capacity enhancing  programme.

The responsibility of preparing Warri Wolves for the League cracker against newly promoted Ifeanyi Ubah FC and the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup match against Dedebit  FC of Ethiopia on the 15th of March now rest on Okpodu.

Okpodu who once featured for the then Green Eagles and known for his knack for goals, will work with the other assistants, Coach Anosike and Coach Atune Jolomi in what is regarded as an uphill task but surmountable.

In a release made available to the press by the Media Manager of the Club, Etu Moses, Coach Aigbogun officially handed over to the assistant Coaches led by Okpodu, with an advice to do their best by winning those two matches.

Speaking on the issue, Coach Okpodu said they are happy that the Technical Adviser is going to acquire more knowledge which will help the Club to move forward and they hope to gain from him when he comes back.

Okpodu further assured all stakeholders that they will do a good job and will not disappoint Coach Aigbogun and wish him the best and a safe trip to the United Kingdom and back home.

Meanwhile, Warri Wolves has resumed preparation immediately for the league opener against Ifeanyi Ubah who just won the NNL Super 4 in Ilorin.

   Source

Cooreman Is New Coach Of Ikorodu FC

Former Enyimba International coach, Maurice Cooreman has signed for Nigeria National League side, Ikorodu FC of Lagos State.

The veteran coach has won the Nigeria Professional Football League twice with Ocean Boys and Enyimba FC, and the Federation Cup with Kaduna United FC in 2010.

His latest run was at Gombe United but did not end well before Austin Eguavoen was signed by the club but they still got relegated to the second division.

Newcastle, Hull, West Brom In Race For Ighalo

Watford striker, Odion Ighalo is reportedly on Newcastle United’s radar with his present rich run of goal scoring form at the Championship side.

Reports from The Sunday People have it that other clubs like Hull City and West Bromwich Albion are also in need of the Nigerian-born player’s services.

Five million pounds is the asking price according to a British newspaper. Watford are hoping to cash in big on their star man.

He is believed to be in the possession of an Italian passport, and will not count as a non European Union citizen if his move to the Premier League materializes.

Chelsea To Be Without Mikel Until April

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel will be out of action until April after undergoing minor knee surgery.

The Nigeria international has been absent for Chelsea's past four matches, including Sunday's 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the League Cup final.

Manager Jose Mourinho has subsequently confirmed that Mikel has had an operation to correct the issue and expects him to be absent until April.

"Mikel had a little surgery on his meniscus," he told the press.

"We are expecting him to be out for about a month - one week is already gone. There is not too much optimism or pessimism.

"I would say [he will return] first week of April."

Mikel is now likely to miss the Premier League matches against West Ham, Southampton and Hull City as well as the home leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

   Source

CAF Champions League Pre- Round Results, 1st Round Fixtures

CAF Champions League Preliminary-Round, Second-Leg Results at the weekend:

Zesco Utd (Zambia) 1-0 Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland)

Zesco win 2-1 on aggregate

Kaloum (Guinea) 1-1 Sewe Sport (Ivory Coast)

Kaloum win 3-2 on aggregate

Note: match moved from Guinea to Bamako, Mali because of Ebola epidemic

Foullah Edifice (Chad) 3-1 USM Alger (Algeria)

USM win 4-3 on aggregate

Etoile Filante (Burkina Faso) 0-0 Pikine (Senegal)

Pikine win 1-0 on aggregate

KMKM (Zanzibar) 1-0 Al-Hilal (Sudan)

Hilal win 2-1 on aggregate

Big Bullets (Malawi) 2-2 Fomboni Moheil (Comoros)

Bullets win 3-2 on aggregate

Sanga Balende (DR Congo) 2-0 Recreativo Libolo (Angola)

Balende win on away goals after 3-3 aggregate tie

Cosmos Bafia (Cameroon) 3-0 Kampala City Coucil (Uganda)

Bafia win 3-1 on aggregate

El-Merrikh (Sudan) 3-0 Azam (Tanzania)

Merrikh win 3-2 on aggregate

Kabuscorp (Angola) 1-0 Lydia Academic (Burundi)

Kabuscorp win 1-0 on aggregate

Semassi Sokode (Togo) 1-0 Ela Nguema (Equatorial Guinea)

Sokode win 2-1 on aggregate

St George (Ethiopia) 2-1 El-Eulma (Algeria)

Eulma win on away goals after 2-2 aggregate tie

Buffles Borgou (Benin Rep.) 0-1 Enyimba (Nigeria)

Enyimba win 4-0 on aggregate

Smouha (Egypt) 1-0 Al-Ahly Tripoli (Libya)

Smouha win 5-3 on penalties after 1-1 aggregate tie

CNaPS Sport (Madagascar) 3-2 Gor Mahia (Kenya)

Gor win on away goals after 3-3 aggregate tie

APR (Rwanda) 2-1 Liga Muculmana (Mozambique)

APR win 2-1 on aggregate

Moghreb Tetouan (Morocco) 3-0 CO Bamako (Mali)

Tetouan win 3-2 on aggregate

Kano Pillars (Nigeria) 3-0 Al-Malakia (South Sudan)

Pillars win 5-0 on aggregate

Township Rollers (Botswana) 0-1 Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa)

Chiefs win 3-1 on aggregate

Diables Noirs (Congo) 2-2 Raja Casablanca (Morocco)

Raja win 6-2 on aggregate

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) 3-0 St Michel Utd (Seychelles)

Sundowns win 4-1 on aggregate

Bantu (Lesotho) 0-1 Mangasport (Gabon)

Mangasport win 2-0 on aggregate

AS Garde Nationale (Niger Rep.) 1-1 Stade Malien (Mali)

Stade win on away goals after 1-1 aggregate tie

Barrack Young Controllers (Liberia) v Real Banjul (Gambia) (first leg: 1-1)

To Be Determined

First Round Fixtures:

Team 1		Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Zesco Utd (Zambia)	Vs	Kaloum (Guinea)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
USM Alger (Algeria)	Vs	Pikine (Senegal)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
Al-Hilal (Sudan)	Vs	Big Bullets (Malawi)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
Coton Sport (Cameroon)	Vs	Sanga Balende (DR Congo)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
Cosmos Bafia (Cameroon)	Vs	Espérance de Tunis(Tunisia)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
El-Merrikh (Sudan)	Vs	Kabuscorp (Angola)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
Semassi Sokode (Togo)	Vs	CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)	13–15 Mar	3–5 Apr
El-Eulma (Algeria)	Vs	Asante Kotoko (Ghana)	13–15 Mar	3–5 Apr
Enyimba (Nigeria)	Vs	Smouha (Egypt)	13–15 Mar	3–5 Apr
Gor Mahia (Kenya)	Vs	AC Léopards (Congo)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
APR (Rwanda)	Vs	Al-Ahly (Egypt)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
Moghreb Tétouan (Morocco)	Vs	Kano Pillars (Nigeria)	13–15 Mar	3–5 Apr
ES Sétif (Algeria)	Vs	Barrack Young Controllers (Liberia)/Real Banjul (Gambia)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
Kaizer Chiefs (South   Africa)	Vs	Raja Casablanca (Morocco)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)	Vs	TP Mazembe (DR Congo)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr
AS Mangasport (Gabon)	Vs	Stade Malien (Mali)	13–15   Mar	3–5 Apr