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Tag: NPFL

  • MFM FC targets third away victory against Wikki Tourists

    MFM FC targets third away victory against Wikki Tourists

    Coach of MFM FC, Tony Bolus, on Friday, expressed the hope of securing an away victory against Wikki Tourists when both sides square up on the Nigeria Professional Football League, (NPFL) Match Day 16.

    Olukoya Boys will have a date with the Giant Elephant on Sunday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium Bauchi.

    Speaking on the match against the Bauchi-based Tourists, Bolus said that away victory was not far from the cen,occupying an already impressive away record.

    “Everybody going for a match has one thing at the back of his mind and that is winning, nobody wants to lose either away or home game.

    “We are going to Bauchi with positive mind of getting a win, which is not impossible because the records are there for everybody to see.

    “I have been able to steady the ship because we lost some of our important players last season and we are relatively a young team.

    “We are not doing badly because we are determined, we have good recruitment and I believe that we are going to get something tangible at the end of the season,”he said.

    In their previous five meetings, the Bolus-tutored side has had an upper hand against the Usman Abdallah side, with MFM having three wins, one draw and one loss.

    For the NPFL 2019/2020 season, MFM FC has a wining rate of 46 per cent with two away wins against Heartland FC of Owerri and Rangers International of Enugu, both with lone goal wins.

    MFM has won six, drawn four and lost four in their 2019/2020 campaign, occupying 7th position on the NPFL table.

    Wikki Tourists on the other hand has 28 per cent win with two home wins and one away victory against Nasarawa United.

    The Giant Elephant have won three, drawn four and lost four matches in 2019/2020 campaign, occupying the 14th position on the NPFL table. (NAN)

  • NPFL: Rangers 2-1 win over Warri Wolves FC excites coach

    NPFL: Rangers 2-1 win over Warri Wolves FC excites coach

    Salisu Yusuf, the Technical Adviser, Rangers International FC of Enugu, has lauded his team for their fighting spirit in the club’s 2-1 away win over Warri Wolves FC of Delta.
    Rangers in the midweek match day 15 of the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) grabbed their first away win over host Warri Wolves.
    In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday, Yusuf described the win as a thing of joy, saying that things had begun to turn around for the club.
    ”This is the beginning of more away wins to come and that was what we have been fighting for since I took over the club.
    ”Remember that we have been close to winning some of our away matches in the league, but ill luck has been the order of the day.
    ”Against Heartland FC, we took the lead and later relinquished our lead towards the end of the match to loose the match 2-1.
    ”In most of the away matches, we scored goals. We were almost at the edge of winning and thank God we had it now,” he said.
    The coach said that the club’s woeful performance in the league and continental had always been a nightmare to them.
    ”It was always a bitter experience both at home and in the continent, but I wish we will replicate this in our remaining matches in the continent,” he said.
    He said the club now had to sit up for greater challenges ahead, pointing out that the battle had just begun.
    ”Now that we have started winning matches in the league, other clubs will not be taking us for granted.
    ”For us to maintain this feat, we have to brace up and employ tactics that will help us win matches and difficult for other teams to curtail,” Yusuf said.
    He thanked the club management, players, technical crew and the supporters for their steadfastness and perseverance during the club’s challenging period.
    The win over Warri Wolves catapulted the club to the 18th position, two teps away from the bottom of the log.
    However, the team are still in the relegation zone, in spite of the win, with 12 points from 11 matches with four outstanding. (NAN)

  • NPFL: Sunshine Stars beat hosts Wikki Tourists 2-1 in Bauchi

    NPFL: Sunshine Stars beat hosts Wikki Tourists 2-1 in Bauchi

    Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure on Sunday defeated hosts Wikki Tourists FC 2-1 in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) fixture at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi.

    The Akure boys recorded their first goal 26 minutes into the first half of the tension-soaked Match Day 14 fixture through Amaka Anthony.

    They scored their second goal 63 minutes into the game after failing to utilise many scoring chances during the match through Faux Ekelojuoti.

    The home team were playing their first match at their real home after having played earlier home matches in over two and a half years in Jos, Lafia and Gombe.

    They scored their lone goal through a penalty kick taken by Mohammed Garba.

    In a post-match interview, the Technical Adviser of Sunshine Stars, Kabiru Dogo, commended his boys’ efforts in winning the match.

    “In the past three or four years, I have been leading teams to beat them (Wikki Tourists), and today again I have made it again, so thanks to God Almighty.

    “But it is a testy match for both sides. Wikki have been doing very well, but today the better team won the game,” Dogo states.

    He described the officiating of the match as excellent, saying “for now we cannot say anything because we have achieved success”.

    The Technical Adviser and other technical crew members of Wikki Tourists were not available for comments immediately after the match.

    Their being unavailable may not be unconnected with the fears of being manhandled by the club’s fans who were angry over the team’s poor performance.

    However, the club’s spokesman, Nasiru Kobi, described the performance of the team as “terrible and very disturbing.

    “We played three home matches away in Gombe and lost them and now anticipated doing better while at our real home in Bauchi.

    “But it is rather unfortunate that we lost it too, in spite of the teeming supporters.

    “The supporters have been expecting the team to return here for their home matches, but this performance and result are disappointing to the team, the management, the government and the teeming supporters,” Kobi said.

    He however appealed to the club’s fans, supporters and other stakeholders to exercise patience, assuring that the team would improve in subsequent matches.(NAN)

  • 3SC’ll secure promotion ticket to NPFL, Gov. Makinde assures fans

    3SC’ll secure promotion ticket to NPFL, Gov. Makinde assures fans

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Sunday in Ibadan assured supporters of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan that the team would secure promotion ticket this season.

    He gave the assurance at the Lekan Salami Stadium at Adamasingba in Ibadan afyer a match involving 3SC and Ekiti United Football Club of Ado-Ekiti.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 3SC took on Ekiti United FC in a week 5 match of the 2019/2020 Nigeria National League (NNL).

    NAN reports also that 3SC defeated Ekiti United 1-0 through an 87th minute goal by Chinedu Enuademu.

    The governor expressed optimism that 3SC were due for promotion into the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    “3SC are due for promotion into the NPFL this season and our administration will do everything humanly possible to ensure the club are promoted. We must regain the club’s lost glory,” he said.

    Makinde said his being there on Sunday to watch the match was to support the team and ensure the team secured a promotion ticket into NPFL from their group.

  • NPFL: Abia’s haul gives Sunshine maximum three points

    NPFL: Abia’s haul gives Sunshine maximum three points

    Sunshine Stars Striker, Israel Abia, on Sunday had a haul to ensure that his team emerged winner of the match day seven encounter of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) encounter against Nassarawa United.

    The match, played at the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure, had Chidi Solomon scoring the first goal for Nassarawa United in the 36th minute before Abia restored parity in the 40th minute .

    Abia gave the home team the lead in the 45th minute after meeting Wasiu Jimoh’s corner to ensure that the home team went into the half leading 2-1.

    As the second half resumed, Mohammed Abdallah restored parity for the visitors to make the game 2-2 in the 48th minute before Abia added the third a minute after to make it 3-2.

    Abia made it his fourth goal in the 78th minute after he had connected with Anthony Omaka’s cross to secure a comfortable 4-2 win over Nassarawa United.

    Sunshine Stars Coach, Kabir Dogo said he was happy that his team won its home match after it had defeated Akwa United 1-0 in the match day six encounter.

    Dogo said his team won the game through perseverance and hard work after his team had not scored much in previous encounters in the season.

    “First of all I have to thank God and commend my boys for a Job well done,

    ” This is the first time in the last five years that Sunshine is winning double home, it is not an easy game.

    “Nasarawa United have a good record against Sunshine anytime they play here even during my time with Nasarawa united. We were able to score the goals through hard work and prayers.

    “During our training we dedicated one hour for strikers alone, thank God it yielded results today.

    “With the support for the people of the state we will remain focused till the end of the season,” Dogo said.

    The Acting Technical Adviser of Nassarawa United, Abubakar Arikya, said his players played well in the first half.

    Arikya said his team would plan better ahead of the week eight encounter against Kano Pillars.

    “We are still building the team, we will have a good plan ahead of our next match against Kano Pillars at home. We will take it the way we took this match but we are going to make some changes.

    “A lot of things are happening in the team, we are not playing to our pattern against Kano Pillars.

    ” By God’s grace we will have the day,” he said.(NAN)

  • 2019/2020 NPFL: Sunshine Stars beat title-holders Enyimba

    2019/2020 NPFL: Sunshine Stars beat title-holders Enyimba

    By Our Reporter

    Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure on Wednesday beat Enyimba Internatonal FC of Aba 1-0 in a Match Day 4 fixture of the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    The match’s only goal came in the 10th minute.

    Alow shot from inside the box by midfielder Anthony Omaka settled the game, with striker Israel Abia assisting in the match was played at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure.

    Abia had in the 50th minute missed scoring from 18 yards after facing Enyimba’s goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali face to face.

    All efforts by the visitors to equalise were rebuffed by the home team to ensure maximum the three points were kept in the kitty.

    The Technical Adviser of Sunshine Stars, Kabiru Dogo, later said he was happy his team picked the maximum three points from the game.

    Dogo said he was much more happy that his team was creating scoring chances, adding that it was a matter of time before his team would be scoring more goals.

    “I am very happy, if you look at the calibre of opposition we played, and we secured victory. We have to appreciate God and the players,” he said.

    Speaking also, Omaka said he was happy to have scored in an encounter against the current NPFL champions.

    On his part, the Head Coach of Enyimba FC, Usman Abd’Allah, said the first formation he planned to use in the match did not work out.

    “This forced us into making quick substitutions in the second half,’’ he said.

    Abd’Allah was however quick to point out that the match was a good game generally, in view of having o play against a strong home team.

    Sunshine Stars now have five points from three matches.(NAN)