2018 NPFL Match Day 6 results, scorers

*FC IfeanyiUbah 1  Akwa United 1
Cyril Olisema  -Akwa   (12th minute)
Patrick Ikeokwu-I/Ubah (47th minute)

*Yobe Stars 1 vs Katsina United 0
Chinedu Ohanachom -5oth

*Enyimba 1 Abia Warriors 0
Stanley Dimgba

*Sunshine stars 1 El-Kanemi Warriors 0
Kehinde Adedipe -26th minute

*Kano Pillars 2 Plateau United 0
Junior Lokosa (21st,  27th minute)

*MFM FC, Lagos 2 Wikki Tourists 1
Waheed Adebayo -MFM   (6th minute)
Nafiu Kabuga   -Wikki (16th minute)
Jesse Akila    -MFM   (40th minute)

*Kwara United 1 Lobi Stars 0
Stephen Alfred -10th minute

*Enugu Rangers      1 Rivers United 0
Kelvin Itoya -59th minute

*Go Round     2 Nasarawa Utd 1
Adeseun Adelani -Go Round (50th minute)
Saheed Opeyemi  -Nasarawa (53rd minute)
Shedrack Oghali -Go Round (76th minute)

Rescheduled: Feb 7

*Niger Tornadoes 1 Heartland   2
Lucky Emariojoke -Heartland (6th minute)
Mohammed Azeez   -Heartland (42nd minute)
Bashir Usman     -Tornadoes (49th minute)

2018 NPFL Match Day 6 fixtures

Wednesday, January 31

FC IfeanyiUbah vs Akwa United
Kano Pillars   vs Plateau United
MFM FC, Lagos  vs Wikki Tourists
Go Round       vs Nasarawa United
Niger Tornadoes vs Heartland FC
Yobe Stars      vs Katsina United
Enugu Rangers   vs Rivers United
Enyimba         vs Abia Warriors
Sunshine Stars  vs El-kanemi Warriors

Thursday, February 1
Kwara United vs Lobi Stars

2018 NPFL Match Day 5 results, scorers

*Plateau United 1 MFM, Lagos 0
Tosin Omoyele -2nd minute

*Akwa United    3 Kwara United 0
Michael Ibe    -13th minute
Victor Mbaoma  -21st minute
Ubong Friday   -54th minute

*Wikki Tourists 1 FC IfeanyiUbah 0
Nafiu Kabuga -31st minute

*Lobi Stars     3 Niger Tornadoes 1
Samad Kadiri -Lobi (2 goals)
Ezekiel Mbah -Lobi
Ibrahim Babawo-Tornadoes

*Heartland      1 Yobe Stars    1
Chinedu Ohanachom -Yobe      (5th minute)
Mohammed Azeez    -Heartland (32nd minute)

*Katsina Utd    3 Go Round FC  0
Eric Dufegha
Joshua Agboola
Martins Usule

*Nasarawa Utd   2 Enugu Rangers  1
Abdullahi Abubakar -Nasarawa (9th minute)
Okey Odita         -Rangers  (12th minute)
Seun Sogbeso       -Nasarawa (+90 minute)

*Rivers United  1 Enyimba       1
Stanley Dimgba -Enyimba (45th minute)
Israel Daniel  -Rivers  (77th minute)

*El-Kanemi Warriors 0 Kano Pillars 0

*Abia Warriors  0 Sunshine Stars 0

2018 NPFL Match Day 5 fixtures

Saturday, January 27
Plateau Utd     vs MFM, Lagos

Sunday, January 28
Akwa United        vs Kwara United    
Wikki Tourists     vs FC IfeanyiUbah   
Lobi Stars         vs Niger Tornadoes
Heartland          vs Yobe Stars
Katsina Utd        vs Go Round
Abia Warriors      vs Sunshine Stars
Nasarawa Utd       vs Enugu Rangers
Rivers United      vs Enyimba
El-Kanemi Warriors vs Kano Pillars 

2018 NPFL Match day 4 results, scorers

*Kwara United    1 Wikki Tourists 0
Stephen Alfred -14th minute

*Niger Tornadoes 1 Akwa United 2
Dennis Nya   -Akwa Utd  (23rd minute)
Nosiru Afees -Tornadoes (42nd minute)
Victor Mbaoma -Akwa Utd (62nd minute)

*Yobe Stars      1 Lobi Stars 0
Chinedu Ohanachom -84th minute

*Go Round        1 Heartland   1
Solomon Nwachukwu -Go Round (11th minute)
Julius Ubido      -Hearland (53rd minute)

*Enugu Rangers   1 Katsina United 0
Godwin Aguda -78th minute

*Sunshine Stars 2 Rivers United 0
Yahuza Bala   -75th minute
Joseph Sasere -81st minute

*Kano Pillars 2 Abia Warriors 1
Nyima Nwagwa     -Pillars       (28th minute)
Ndifreke Effiong -Abia Warriors (60th minute)
Junior Lokosa    -Pillars       (62nd minute)

*Plateau United 3 El-Kanemi Warriors 0
Jimmy Ambrose   -2nd minute
Joshua Obaje    -8th minute
Rapheal Ayagwa  -47th minute

*MFM, Lagos     2 IfeanyiUbah 1
Jesse Akile        -MFM     (14th minute)
Seka Pascal        -If.Ubah (15th minute)
Sikiru Olatunbosun -MFM     (41st minute)

*Enyimba  1 Nasarawa Utd 0
Stanley Dimgba -79th minute

2018 NPFL Match day 4 fixtures

Wednesday, January 24

Enyimba         vs Nasarawa United   
Yobe Stars      vs Lobi Stars
GO Round        vs Heartland   
Plateau Utd     vs El-Kanemi Warriors 
MFM, Lagos      vs FC IfeanyiUbah   
Sunshine Stars  vs Rivers Utd
Enugu Rangers   vs Katsina Utd   
Kano Pillars    vs Abia Warriors
Kwara United    vs Wikki Tourists
Niger Tornadoes vs Akwa United

2018 NPFL Match day 3 results, scorers

*FC Ifeanyi Ubah 2 Kwara United    0
Godwin Obaje - 23rd minute 
Ekene Awazie - 63rd minute

*Wikki Tourists  1 Niger Tornadoes 0
Mustapha Ibrahim -60th minute

*Akwa United     2 Yobe Stars      0
Victor Mbaoma -30th minute   
Micheal Ibe   -33rd minute

*Lobi Stars      1 Go Round        0
Samad Kadiri

*Heartland       0 Enugu Rangers   1
Bright Silas-10th minute

*Katsina Utd     2 Enyimba         0
Martins Usule
Usman Barau

*Nasarawa Utd    2 Sunshine Stars  0
Douglas Achiv
Ishaya Anyu

*Rivers United   2 Kano Pillars    1
Bamba Bakari    (Rivers Utd) 19th minute
Junior Lokossa  (Pillars) 31st minute
Guy Kuemian     (Rivers Utd) 59th minute

*Abia Warriors   1 Plateau Utd     0
Samson Obi -2nd minute

*El-Kanemi Warriors  3 MFM, Lagos   1
Bello Kofarmata (El-Kanemi) 59th minute
Ocheme Edoh     (El-Kanemi) 63rd minute
Adegboyega Adekunle (MFM)   76th minute
Sunday Anthony  (El-Kanemi) 89th minute


 

2018 NPFL LEAGUE BLUES

FIRST BRACE OF THE SEASON:
*Ndifreke Effiong of Abia Warriors remains the first and only player who scored a brace in the ongoing season. His scored in the 52nd and 65th minute against visiting MFM FC of Lagos at the Umuahia Township Stadium in the season's opener which ended 2-0 in favour of the hosts.

FIRST SCORER:
*Junior Lokosa of Kano Pillars was the first scorer this season. He scored in the 33rd minute against Katsina United in the season's opener in Katsina on January 14 which ended in a 2-2 draw.

FIRST RED CARD
Victor Dennis of Kano Pillars was the first player to have bagged a red card this season. He was sent off in the 43rd minute during the season's opener against Katsina United following a two-footed tackle against Eric Gwammy.

LEADING SCORERS:
Ndifreke Effiong  -Abia Warriors 2 goals
Junior Lokosa      -Kano Pillars    2 goals
Godwin Obaje     -IfeanyiUbah     2 goals

2018 NPFL Match day 3 fixtures

Sunday, January 21

Wikki Tourists  vs Niger Tornadoes
Abia Warriors   vs Plateau United
Nasarawa United vs Sunshine Stars
Rivers United   vs Kano Pillars
FC IfeanyiUbah  vs Kwara United
Akwa United     vs Yobe Stars
Lobi Stars      vs Go Round
Heartland       vs Enugu Rangers
Katsina United  vs Enyimba
El-Kanemi Warriors vs MFM, Lagos

2018 NPFL Match day 2 results

*Niger Tornadoes 2 FC IfeanyiUbah 1
Solomon Owello     -Tornadoes
Sunday Akinmoladun -Tornadoes
Godwin Obaje       -IfeanyiUbah

*Yobe Stars   2 Wikki Tourists 0
Ali Aliyu     -45th minute
Philip Asuquo -60th minute

*Go Round, Omoku 1 Akwa United  0
Adelani Adesoun  -17th minute

*Enugu Rangers   1 Lobi Stars 2
Samad Kadiri  (Lobi) 12th minute
Ayo Saka      (Lobi) 71st minute
Chiamaka Madu (Rangers) 84th minute

*Enyimba         0 Heartland FC 0

*Sunshine stars  2 Katsina Utd 1
Abiodun Joseph (Sunshine)    41st minute
Tasiu Lawal    (IfeanyiUbah) 63rd minute
Sikiru Alimi   (Sunshine)    81th minute

*Kano Pillars    2 Nasarawa United 0
Junior Lokosa    -34th minute
Ibrahim Alhassan -63rd minute

*Plateau United  2 Rivers United  0
Elisha Golbe -31st minute
Emeka Umeh   -60th minute

*El-Kanemi Warriors 1 Abia Warriors 0
Bello Kofarmata

*MFM, Lagos       1 Kwara United 0
Adebayo Waheed -51st minute

2018 NPFL Match day 1 results

*Kwara United 0 Niger Tornadoes 2
Eric Frimpong  -11th minute
Ibrahim Babawo -49th minute

*Akwa United 2  Enugu Rangers 0
Kelly Kester -40th minute
Dennis Nya   -66th minute

*Katsina United 2 Kano Pillars 2
Junior Lokosa  (Pillars) 33rd minute
Ajanah Chinedu (Katsina) 45th minute
Ibrahim Alhassan (Pillars) 61st minute
Destiny Ashadi (Katsina) +95 minute     

*Rivers United 1 El-Kanemi Warriors 0
Guy Kuemian-68th minute

*FC IfeanyiUbah 2 Yobe Desert Stars 1
Godwin Obaje (IfeanyiUbah) 37th minute 
Chinedu Ohanachom (Yobe Stars) 61st minute
Gabriel Shola (IfeanyiUbah) 66th minute

*Lobi Stars 1 Enyimba   1
Chinedu Udeagha (Enyimba) -41th minute
Ezekiel Mbah    (Lobi)    -62nd minute

*Nasarawa United 0 Plateau United 1
Raphael Ayagwa -87th minute

*Heartland 0 Sunshine Stars 0

*Abia Warriors 2 MFM FC, Lagos 0
Ndifreke Effiong  (52nd, 65th minute)

*Wikki Tourists 1 Go Round FC 0
Nafizu Kabuga -45th minute

Senate President appoints National Unity Cup boss, AbdulRauph as Legislative Assistant

THE Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki (CON), has appointed the Chairman Senate President Unity Cup and National Unity Cup, Honourable AbdulRauph AbdulSalam as his Legislative Assistant.

The appointment which is with immediate effect is in recognition of AbdulRauph's numerous contributions to the Saraki political dynasty and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at large.

Mallam AbdulRasheed Saraki has on behalf of other members of the President Unity Cup and National Unity Cup organising  committee, congratulated AbdulRauph on his deserved appointment, just as he urged him to continue his good work in developing the grass-roots sports in Kwara State and Nigeria at large.

AbdulRauph has before now served as Secretary to Moro Local Government Area between 2007 and 2010. 

He also served as the Youth Empowerment Coordinator to the Governor of Kwara State from 2011 to 2015.

Niger State coach charges Nigeria Squash Federation on development

The Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF) has been charged to rise up to the occasion, and revive the game in the country.

Head Coach of squash in Niger state, Segun Afokhai, while analysing the state of the development of the game in Nigeria said that the game is only been played in very few states, a situation he described as absurd.

According to him, "squash is going down, and is just happening in few states like Kwara, Lagos, and maybe Ogun and Niger. And even in Niger State, we are only improvising to train the players because we don’t have squash courts".

Afokhai, who was in Ilorin recently on a three-day training visit with his players, said that the federation needs to really operate like a federation, and a mother to all the components that made up squash in the country.

He said that coaches are not recognised, pointing out that in most national competitions, only players are accommodated, with no provision for the coaches who in the first place, are the ones discovering and training the players to keep the game going.

"Coaches must be recognised, officials must be accorded their rightful place in the system, and the players’ association must also be carried along, and not just some set of people running it," he added.

On the level of improvement of squash in Nigeria, coach Afokhai said that there is improvement in the standard of play of the junior players saying that they are gradually upsetting the senior players.

"In recent times, the improvement is only being witnessed in younger players, and that was maybe because we have more junior tournaments.

The U-19 players are already upsetting the senior players, and the players creating these upsets are from either Kwara or Lagos states."

The team was in Ilorin to sharpen up ahead of 2018 programmes, as well as the National Youth Games. He said that they decided to choose Kwara State because the state has younger players that are good, adding that the team will return to have one or two weeks extensive training in the state.

He commended Kwara Squash Association, the players and coaches for the hospitality, adding that his players have learned a lot during their short stay.

Four players, two male and two female from Niger State played the round-robin friendly against eight players from Kwara State during the three day tour, at the squash court of the Kwara State Stadium Complex, Ilorin.
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Caption:

Nigeria's Yemisi Olatunji (left) during a recent international squash tournament.

2018 NPFL FIXTURES:

Week 1, January 14

Wikki Tourists vs Go Round
Nasarawa Utd   vs Plateau Utd
IfeanyiUbah    vs Yobe Stars
Abia Warriors  vs MFM, Lagos
Katsina Utd    vs Kano Pillars
Kwara United   vs Niger Tornadoes
Akwa United    vs Enugu Rangers
Heartland      vs Sunshine Stars
Lobi Stars     vs Enyimba
Rivers United  vs El-Kanemi Warriors

I will play until my eldest daughter understands tennis------Murray

RECUPERATING Andy Murray has said that he would like to play until his eldest daughter Sophia, who was born in February 2016, is able to watch him and have "a small understanding of what it is I've done for my living".

"That would be cool if she can come along and watch me hit some balls or practise just to see what it is I do. I like watching and seeing a lot of the other kids when they are on the tour with their parents," he stated.
 
Meanwhile, Murray on Monday underwent hip surgery. He was operated on by Dr John O'Donnell at the St Vincent Hospital in Melbourne.

The former world number one, 30, has not played a competitive match since he was knocked out of Wimbledon in July.

The ongoing problem forced the Scot to pull out of the Australian Open, which begins on January 15.
"I'm not finished playing tennis yet. I'm going to be competing at the highest level again," he said. "I'm very optimistic about the future - the surgeon is very happy about how it went."

Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, believes if he can return to 95 per cent of his best, that will be enough for him to compete again at the top level.

He hopes he will be hitting balls on court again after seven or eight weeks, and has been given 14 weeks as a guide for a return from this kind of surgery.

But Murray, who has fallen to 19th in the world, said he is not "interested in coming back for a specific tournament".
"My plan is to be back playing around the grass-court season - potentially before then - but I'm certainly not going to rush anything," said Murray, speaking from his hospital bed in a telephone conference call to a group of British journalists. I want to know when I come back that I'm ready."

Murray withdrew from the US Open two days before the start of the tournament in August last year, and said he realised he was not ready to compete in Brisbane last week when he tested his hip against other top-50 players.
 
"I want to come back when I'm fit and ready to play, not to get into a situation like in Brisbane or New York, where I'm unsure when I turn up at a tournament how fit I am," he said.

Murray has not played a competitive match since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat by Sam Querrey on July 12.
He said he first felt pain in his right hip during June's French Open semi-final against Stan Wawrinka, though he has had issues with it throughout his career.
"The surgeon felt that my hip will be feeling better than it did a year ago," Murray said.
  "Obviously, I was still doing fine a year ago - I  was ranked number one in the world.
"I'm certainly not going to be putting in the same amount of tournaments and effort to try to get to number one in the world. I'll be playing a reduced schedule, and then focusing more on trying to win major events and big tournaments rather than trying to achieve certain ranking goals.

"I've been fairly competitive with top-50 players in the world in Brisbane when I'm struggling to move, and I made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon when I literally couldn't walk and was in so much pain.

"So if I can get myself to 95 per cent of my best, I believe that's enough to compete at the highest level. No question.

"The rest of my body feels fantastic. I feel really, really good physically apart from this one issue. The surgery allows me to extend my hip well, and I'll be able to sprint."

Though he has become accustomed to soreness in his hip, the pain he has had since last summer has had an impact on his day-to-day life. It has also emerged that he had minor groin surgery on December 18.

That was successful in relieving some of the pain he had been experiencing, and was the reason for delaying his departure to Australia until after Christmas.

Should Murray's rehabilitation go to plan, he will have been out of action for almost a year by the time he returns.

Caption: Murray set to serve during a game.

 

Brisbane International: Muguruza collapses during 2nd round clash Aleksandra

Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza withdrew for the fourth year in a row after suffering cramp during second round match against Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic at the ongoing Brisbane International.
World number two Muguruza who was leading 2-1 in the deciding set in 30C heat collapsed following a serve and had to be helped out of the court.
The 5-7, 7-6, 2-1 defeat ends any hope of replacing Romanian Simona Halep as number one before the Australian Open.
"I cramp very few times," said Muguruza, adding that the problem started early in the second set.
"The last time I cramped up was actually at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's the conditions. I don't know, but it's rare for me."
Muguruza's run of injury problems in Brisbane dates back to 2015 when she withdrew on the eve of the event with an ankle problem. A foot injury ended her 2016 campaign and a thigh problem led to her semi-final retirement last year.
The top seed had started well against unseeded Krunic, the world number 53, converting her seventh set point to win the first set before surging to a 5-2 lead in the second.
But Krunic took four of the next five games to force a tie-break, which she won 7-3 to send the contest into a deciding set.
Meanwhile, British number one Johanna Konta moved into the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win against wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic.
Konta, who ended a run of five straight defeats since August by beating Madison Keys in the previous round, won in two hours 26 minutes.
She will play Ana Konjuh or third seed Elina Svitolina in the last eight.
After losing a fluctuating opening set in which her serve was broken four times, fifth seed Konta raced 5-0 ahead in the next against 24-
year-old Croat Tomljanovic, the world number 118.
Tomljanovic needed a medical time-out for treatment off the court and returned with heavy strapping on her right thigh but Konta soon wrapped up the set, in which her serve improved significantly and she offered no break point chances.
Konta continued to impress with the accuracy of her ground strokes and served for the match at 5-2, but her Croat opponent struck some defiant blows and broke back, before holding serve with an ace.
Tomljanovic had three break point chances to level the match at 5-5 but Konta held on and sealed victory on her first match point.
"There wasn't a lot in it so I'm glad I stayed tough to come through that," the British player said. "It boosts the match fitness, every match is a battle."
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Caption:
Garbine Muguruza down and out during her second round game in Brisbane.

Oshoala favoured to retain Africa Player gong

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is tipped to be crowned 2017 African Player of the Year in Ghana, just as Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala is equally favoured to retain the Women’s gong.
The aiteo/African Football Confederation (CAF) award is scheduled to hold on Thursday, January 4 at the International Conference Centre in  Accra.
Salah who has already been named the 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year scored 17 goals in the first round of the English Premier League this season.
He was also instrumental in the qualification of Egypt for the 2018 World Cup with his five-star performance.
Salah is to contend with team-mate, Saido Mane of Senegal and the 2015 CAF award winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon for the title.
It will be recalled that Algeria's Riyad Mahrez won the 2016 edition of the prestigious award.
Meanwhile, Oshoala, who plays for Dalian Quanjian of China, will contend with Chrestina Kgatlana of South Africa who plays for UWC Ladies and  Cameroon's Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene of CSKA Moscow, who was also one of the 2016 final nominees.
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