Futball Galore Media: April 2015

Thursday 30 April 2015

Nigeria Professional Football League - Week Seven Fixtures And Venues

Date: 3rd May 2015

Dolphins vs Lobi Stars
Liberation Stadium, PH

Contrary to reports that they were snubbed by popular kit makers, Puma, before signing with American sportswear giants, Nike, the Nigeria Football Federation have denied such claims, insisting it was Nike that showed the biggest commitment.

Al-Ahly of Egypt quest to overturn a 1-0 deficit suffered in the hands of Morrocan Side Moghreb Tetuoan in the Caf Champions league this weekend has been dealt a severe blow with news that their Nigerian forward Peter Ebimobowei will miss the clash due to injury.

Patrick Friday Eze scored his 13th league goal of the season but failed to rescue Mladost from a 1-3 loss to Rad Beograd.

Peter Utaka scored his second league goal for Japanese club Shimizu S-Pulse on Wednesday, but it was not enough for his team to secure maximum points.

The Nigeria National League might not get underway this weekend, according to reports.

Chairman of Confluence Queens Football Club, Mallam Abdul Sule has expressed optimism on the chances of his girls ahead of this weekend Nigeria Women Premier League opener against Delta Queens in Oleh.

The executive council of Nigeria Civil Service Union, NFF chapter on Wednesday presented this year’s May Day (Workers’ Day) attire to NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi in his office.

Officials have confirmed that Thursday’s Draw Ceremony for this year’s Men and Women Federation Cup competitions will hold at the Conference Room of the FIFA Goal Project, National Stadium Complex, Abuja. The event starts at 1pm.

Joshua Opeyemi Amao and three other Nigerian referees are off to Abidjan for this weekend’s CAF Confederation Cup second round, second leg match between ASEC Mimosas and visiting Onze Createurs at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium.

Warri Wolves FC departed Lagos for Kinshasa on Wednesday morning, ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup second round, second leg clash with FC MK of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Emenike Ends Goal Drought

Super Eagles forward Emmanuel Emenike has finally ended his lean spell in front of goal scoring in Fenerbache's 2-1 win over Bursaspor in a Turkish cup game.

Former international, Jonathan Akpoborie is yet to come to terms with the fact that Nigeria Football Federation offered the Super Eagles job to Stephen Keshi.

Top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official, Emeka Inyama, has disclosed that Puma turned down the chance to kit three-time African champions Super Eagles.

The Nigeria Football Federation could be at risk of having their $750,000-3 and a half year deal cancelled or not extended should the players of any of the National teams breach the terms of the contract as was the case with the previous kit sponsors.

Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) was among the 24 leading Professional League organisations from across the world of football that met in London on Tuesday, April 28 for the first ever Global Leagues Forum.

Nigeria defender Taye Taiwo has quit Turkish club Bursaspor after both parties agreed to part ways.

Osun Babes, COD Ladies Shares Spoils In Friendly

Osun Babes were forced to a one-all draw by COD Ladies in a warm up match on Tuesday at the Fountain University Football Pitch in Osogbo.

Former Super Eagles coach Christian Chukwu has said the Eagles must have a solid first team and a solid back up if they are to return to the heights of achievements.

A deadline for foreign invited professionals of the Nigeria under-20 team will be set on Friday according to the team secretary Ibrahim Aliyu Auwal.

As part of efforts to ensure adequate backroom support for the various National Teams, especially in the area of match preparation, the Nigeria Football Federation has sent four officials to the United Kingdom for specialized training on the all-inclusive match analysis software of PROZONE.

WOMEN’S DRAW
Bayelsa Queens (Bayelsa State); Rivers Angels (Rivers State); Confluence Queens (Kogi State); Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa State); Delta Queens (Delta State); Beautiful Tour Angels (FCT); Edo Queens and Fortress Ladies (Edo State); FC Robo and COD United Ladies (Lagos State); Sunshine Queens and Rising Queens (Ondo State); Ibom Angels and Alberto Queens (Akwa Ibom State); Osun Babes and Oginni Queens (Osun State); Golden Babes (Ebonyi State); Moje Queens (Kwara State)

Fed Cup - Men's Version In Numbers

MEN’S DRAW
Caliphate Stars (Sokoto State); Kaduna United and A.B.U. FC (Kaduna State); New Stars and Zara FC (Kebbi State); Nasarawa United and Nasarawa Feeders (Nasarawa State); Rangers FC and Inter FC (Enugu State); Akampa United (Cross River State); Chuson FC (Ebonyi State); Makwada Warriors and Binani FC (Adamawa State); Akwa United and Akwa Starlets (Akwa Ibom State); Lobi Stars (Benue State); Gateway FC and Remo Stars (Ogun State); FRSC FC and FC Abuja (FCT); Bayelsa United and Nembe City (Bayelsa State); Wikki Tourists and Zabgai FC (Bauchi State); El-Kanemi Warriors and El-Kanemi Babes (Borno State); Kwara United and Kwara Academy (Kwara State); Heartland FC and Papilo FC (Imo State); New Vision FC (Ekiti State); 3SC and Crown FC (Oyo State); Idah United (Kogi State); Niger Tornadoes and Tornadoes Feeders (Niger State); Dallatu United and Shinkafi United (Zamfara State); Dolphins FC and Sharks FC (Rivers State); Plateau United and Giwa FC (Plateau State); Prime FC and Ajiroba FC (Osun State); Junior Spotlight and Spotlight FC (Katsina State); Sunshine Stars and Peacemaker FC (Ondo State); Jalingo United and FC Taraba (Taraba State); Golden Stars and Bizi Cashless (Jigawa State); Christ Ambassadors (Lagos State); Kukuruku Dragons and BJ Foundation (Edo State); J. Atete FC (Delta State); Kano Pillars and Kurmi Market (Kano State); Enyimba and Abia Warriors (Abia State); Gabros FC and Cardinal FC (Anambra State); Gombe United and Doma United FC (Gombe State)

Fed Cup Draws Holds On Thursday

The Draw Ceremony for this year’s Men and Women Federation Cup competitions will hold in Abuja on Thursday.

The Super Falcons will be given the honour of being the first Nigerian National team to use the new Nike kits in a competitive game when they lock horns with Mali in an Olympics qualifying match on May 9 in Abuja.

Nigerian international Iniabasi Umotong was in ruthless form as she grabbed a treble in Porthsmouth Ladies win 4-1 win over Gillingham.

The management of the Nigerian Women Premier League side, Sunshine Queens FC of Ondo State has expressed confident in the quality of players in the team ahead of the 2014/2015 season.

Over thirty female players of the Kogi state owned Confluence Queen Football Club, Lokoja have benefited from 3 day skill acquisition scheme organized by a national youth service corp member Marian-Roy Onwuata of the Kogi State Command.

Double Delight For Uchechi

Nigerian striker Uchechi Sunday Lopez continued her rich vein of form as she grabbed a brace in Minsk's 2-0 win at Bobruichanka on Sunday.

Nigeria U-23 striker Lucky Omeruo has made history with Pembroke Athleta FC as they won promotion to the Malta Premier League for the first time in their history.

Twenty-seven schools have emerged as champions from the state finals in the ongoing 17th edition of the NNPC-Shell Cup for Nigerian secondary schools sponsored by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture.

According to the Nigerian School Sports Federation (NSSF), organisers of the event, the state champions will now compete in zonal preliminaries between April 27 and May 01, 2015 in nine zones.

The quarter-finals will take place from May 8 while the semi-final and the final matches are slated for May 22 and 24 respectively at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

The NNPC-Shell Cup tournament has created a platform for the discovery of new football talents some of whom have subsequently played for the Nigerian national team at all levels.

“Every new edition comes with new excitement to help our young talents blend their academic pursuit with their passion,” said SPDC’s Sustainable Development and Community Relations Manager, Mr. Igo Weli, who added that the international exposure of team coaches and the players to foreign technical crew from the renowned Feyenoord Football Academy of the Netherlands was meant to upscale the tournament’s standard.

According to Weli, Super Eagles ace Ejike Uzoenyi, who was the Most Valuable Player at the 2013 CHAN, and Idowu Akinjide, who was a member of the victorious Golden Eaglets that won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, are both products of the NNPC-Shell Cup tournament.

Manu Garba Honoured By African Sporting Initiative

Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba has been named Ambassador for Sports by the African Sporting Initiative in recognition of his contribution to the development of youth and sports in Nigeria and beyond.

Super Falcons' veteran striker Perpetual Nkwocha has revealed that scoring her first and only goal at FIFA Women's World Cup remains the best moment of her career spanning over 15 years.

The Nigeria Football Federation has congratulated Super Eagles’ forward Jude Odion Ighalo over his English Club, Watford FC’s promotion to the English Premiership.

NPFL - WEEK 6 RESULTS

Bayelsa United 0-0 Gabros FC
Enyimba FC 3-2 Sharks FC
Kano Pillars 2-1 FC Taraba
Lobi Stars 1-1 Giwa FC
Rangers 3-0 El-Kanemi
Kwara United 1-0 Nasarawa United
Sunshine Stars 3-2 Wikki
Abia Warriors 1-0 Shooting Stars
Akwa United 2-0 Dolphins

Monday 27th April
Warri Wolves vs Heartland FC 8AM

Nigeria Professional Football League - Latest Ladder

#	Team	P	GD	Pts
01	Giwa FC	6	3	11
02	Enyimba	6	2	11
03	Gabros FC	6	3	10
04	Wikki	6	1	10
05	Sunshine	6	1	10
06	Abia Warriors	6	0	10
07	Heartland	4	5	9
08	Kano Pillars	4	3	9
09	Elkanemi	5	0	9
10	Kwara United	6	-2	8
11	FC Taraba	6	-1	7
12	Nasarawa	6	-2	7
13	Akwa United	6	-3	7
14	Rangers	6	0	6
15	Sharks	6	-1	6
16	Bayelsa United	6	-2	6
17	Lobi Stars	6	-2	5
18	Shooting Stars	5	-2	4
19	Dolphins	5	-3	4
20	Wolves	3	0	3

Saturday 25 April 2015

Tornadoes, Supreme Court Stalemate

Niger Tornadoes and Supreme Court shared the spoils in a one-all friendly encounter at the Bako Kontagora Stadium on Saturday.

Edward Ofere was on target as Inverness lost 2-1 at home to Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

Kogi United held FRSC FC to a thrilling 1-1 draw in their latest friendly match in Abuja on Saturday.

As part of last minute preparation for the 2014/15 Nigeria Professional Football League season, Niger Tornadoes and Supreme Court will lock horns in a friendly match at the Bako Kontagora Stadium on Saturday 25th April.