Federation Cup: Pillars, Kwara Utd, Wikki crash out

SURPRISES which are synonymous with the Federation Cup otherwise known as the Challenge Cup came to the fore right from the first round of this year's edition, as two Nigeria Premier sides have been sent packing by less fancied teams.
The biggest casualty was Kano Pillars, Nigeria Premier League defending champions as they lost 1-2 at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, to a Nigeria National League side, Gateway United of Abekouta handled by ex-international Henry Nwosu (MON).
Gateway came from behind to clinch a 2-1 victory with goals from Francis Olanrewaju (44th minute) and Opeyemi Oluwafemi (84th minute).
Also, another premier league side, Gombe United at the Kwara State Stadium, Ilorin lost 1-2 to Police Baton FC of Imo State in a Round of 64 game.
Though, harmonysport.blogspot.com learnt that Gombe United had since filed a protest to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), concerning the eligiblity of one of the Baton players while the verdict from the organisers is being awaited.
Interestingly, the star match of the first round fixtures was the clash at the Samuel Ogbemudia
Stadium, Benin between Sharks FC and relegated premier league side, Kwara United which ended in a 1-1 draw, before the Garden City lads later triumphed 4-3 via penalties.
Another upset was recorded at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna where Bendel Insurance defeated a premier league side, Sunshine Stars  of Akure 1-0, while the 2-1 victory of FC Abuja over premier league title contenders, Akwa United handled by ex-international goalkeeper, Patrick Udoh, also proved many bookmakers wrong.
Defending champions, Enyimba began the defence of their title in Abuja under returnee coach, Kadiri Ikhana, with a 3-1 victory over Sokoto North FC who scored first in the encounter.
Heartland coached by another veteran coach, Kelechi Emeteole a.k.a. Caterpillar survived Ebonyi United's scare, as they triumphed 4-3 via penalties after a 1-1 draw at regulation time.
Meanwhile, the Round of 32 matches of the competition would be staged on Wednesday and Thursday, July 9 and 10 in designated venues by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
............

Federation Cup Round of 64 results:  

Nasarawa United                 3  Young Elephants 2
Abia Warriors                      2  Mafara United   0
Dolphins FC                       3  Ingas FC        1
Apa United                        1   Ekiti United    0
FC Lokoja                        2   First Bank FC   4
Enyimba                            3   Sokoto North    1
CBN Cashless                  0   Nembe City      2
Remo Stars                       0   Bayelsa United  1
Gombe United                 1    Baton FC        2
Heartland                       4     Ebonyi United   3 (pen.) (1-1)
Kwara United                3     Sharks FC       4 (pen.) (1-1)
AS Racine                     4     Taraba          5 (pen.) (0-0)
Prime                             3     El-kanemi Babes 1 (pen.) (0-0)
Bendel Insurance           1    Sunshine Stars 0
Shooting Stars               2    Dalhatu FC      0
Bright Stars                   1    Crown FC        4 (pen.) (1-1)
Kano Pillars                 1   Gateway United 2
Dynamite                    4   Ranchers Bees   0
Kogi United                2   Yobe Stars      1
Leopards                   3     Kaduna United   0 (W/O)
Enugu Rangers           2    Ikpeazu Redoubtable 0
Lobi Stars                   2    Tornadoes Feeders  0
Akwa United              1     FC Abuja           2
Dan Buran                  0    Warri Wolves  3 (W/O)
...........
Caption: Henry Nwosu, coached Gateway United to eliminate Kano Pillars from the Federation Cup.

Yobo goes for 100th cap against France

AS the Super Eagles face Les Blues of France on Monday in the Round of 16 of the World Cup in Brazil, odds seem to favour the Nigerian side as captain Joseph Yobo will mark centurion with the game.
Reason: the first and only time Nigeria faced France at the senior level was during an international friendly in June 2009 in Saint Ettiene and the Eagles then coached by Samson Siasia triumphed one nil courtesy of Joseph Apala's first half strike.
Interestingly, both countries will be meeting for the second time coincidentally on the last day of June and pundits have already dubbed the game as an 'African affair' given the make up of the French team.
Perhaps, Yobo will make history as it marks his 100th appearance in the senior national team. He joins fellow Africans such as Ivorian Didier Drogba and  Didier Zokora, among others with over100 caps.
He had featured in all the group games of the Super Eagles since they began their 2014 mundial campaign on June 16 against Iran which ended in a barren draw.
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Caption: Yobo (right) struggles for ball possession during a World Cup build up game.

Ebimobowei spoils fun for Crown in Ibadan with brace

PETER Ebimobowei on Sunday at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan scored twice to give Bayelsa United an away point as the Globacom Premier League Week 19 clash with hosts, Crown FC of Ogbomoso ended two goals apiece.
Former Kwara United striker, Lekan Agunloye who interestingly captained Crown on the day scored the opener barely five minutes into the game.
Agunloye, a former Lobi Stars and Prime FC player capitalised on a defensive error to round up goalkeeper Kazeem Yekini and slot the ball into the yawning net.
Crown however, could only defend the lead for 10 minutes as Ebimobowei connected a cross from the right flank to fire past goalkeeper Lateef Raji.
Sylvester Francis, a former Shooting Stars Sports Club player put the Lawrence Akpokona-piloted side back on the lead with a solo move which he capped with a curling shot to the far side of the net in the 45th minute.
The visitors rallied round to a leveller in the 79th minute through Ebimobowei again as his header caught keeper Raji helpless for his (Ebimobowei) seventh goal of the season.
Meanwhile, Akwa United United recorded their first away victory of the season also on Sunday as they defeated Sharks 2-1 before their teeming fans in the Garden City.
Kufre Ebong put the visitors ahead in the 23rd minute while Godspower Aniefiok made it two before half time.
The Patrick Udoh-tutored side almost ran away with the 2-0 margin until in the added time when Fortune Omoniwari scooped a consolatory goal for the Gbenga Ogunbote-piloted side.
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 Results:
Globacom Premier League Week 19

Heartland          1   Lobi Stars        0
Crown               2   Bayelsa Utd    2
Sharks               1   Akwa Utd       2
Gombe Utd       1   FC Taraba      0
Nasarawa Utd   3   Abia Warriors  1
Kaduna Utd      1   Warri Wolves   0
Nembe City      2   Sunshine Stars 2
Enyimba            0   Giwa FC        0

Week 18 Nigeria National League
Group A

FRSC FC       2 Plateau United       1
Jigawa Stars    2 Adamawa United  0
Kogi United    2 Kwara United       1
Mighty Jets     3 TEAP FC              0
Tornadoes      1 Wikki Tourists        0
Sokoto Utd    1 Supreme Court      0
DSS FC        1 Ranchers Bees       0
Ngr Prisons   1 Spotlight FC           1

Group B

Akwa Starlet      1   Gabros FC       0
B/Insurance       1    Prime FC          0       
COD United      2   Shooting Stars   1
Unicem Rovers  2   Ekiti Utd            0
ABS                  1   First Bank FC    0
Goround FC      3   Abia Comets      1
Remo Stars        1   MFM FC          1
S/Stores            1   Gateway Utd      1
..........
..

Caption: Bayelsa United's wo-goal hero, Peter Ebimobowei..
 

Globacom Premier League Week 19 and NNL Week 18 fixtures

Globacom Premier League week 19 fixtures

June 6 and 7, 2014

Heartland    vs Lobi Stars
Crown        vs Bayelsa Utd
Sharks       vs Akwa Utd
Gombe Utd    vs FC Taraba
Nasarawa Utd vs Abia Warriors
Kaduna Utd   vs Warri Wolves
Nembe City   vs Sunshine Stars
Enyimba      vs Giwa FC
El-Kanemi    vs Rangers (pp)
Kano Pillars vs Dolphins (pp)
...
NNL Week 18 fixtures

Group A

Jigawa Stars  vs Adamawa United 
Kogi United   vs Kwara United
FRSC          vs Plateau United
DSS, Kaduna   vs Ranchers Bees
Ngr Prisons   vs Spotlight
Sokoto Utd    vs Supreme Court
Mighty Jets   vs TEAP FC
Tornadoes     vs Wikki Tourists

Group B

Go-round      vs Abia Comets
UNICEM Rovers vs Ekiti United
ABS           vs First Bank
Akwa Starlets vs Gabros FC
S/Stores      vs Gateway United
Remo Stars    vs MFM FC
B/Insurance   vs Prime
COD United    vs Shooting Stars

Nigeria Premier League rescheduled Week 12 results

Dolphins            2  FC Taraba    0
Rangers             3  Lobi Stars     1
Giwa FC           2  Crown FC     0
El-Kanemi         4  Kaduna Utd   0
Kano Pillars      4  Sharks           1
Sunshine Stars   2  Heartland       2
Abia Warriors   4  Akwa Utd      1
Enyimba           2  Gombe Utd      0
Nembe City     0  Nasarawa Utd  0
............

NNL Week 17 tables

                              Group A

                                        P  W D L GF GA GD PTS
1. Wikki Tourists              17 11 2 4 28 08 +20    35
2. Kwara Utd                  17 9 3 5 26 11 +15      30
3. Spotlight                      17 9 1 7 22 21 +01      28
4. Plateau Utd                 17 8 3 6 18 14 +04       27
5. Adamawa Utd             17 8 3 6 20 18 +02      27
6. Ranchers Bees            17 9 0 8 21 22 -01       27
7. Tornadoes                   17 8 2 7 17 11 +06      26
8. Mighty Jets                 17 8 2 7 16 15 +01      26
9. Kogi Utd                    17 8 1 8 25 17 +08      25
10. Supreme Court         17 7 2 8 14 17 -03       23
11. Sokoto Utd              17 7 1 9 14 19 -05       22
12. Jigawa Stars             17 6 3 8 11 21 -10       21
13. DSS, Kaduna          17 6 2 9 11 21 -10       20
14, FRSC                     17 4 7 6 15 16 -01       19
15. TEAP                     17 5 4 8 10 18 -08       19
16 Ngr Prisons             17 3 4 11 15 34 -19      17
.
Group B
              
                                     P W D L GF GA GD PTS
1. 3SC                         17 9 3 5 21 13 +08     30
2. Gabros                     17 9 2 6 15 12 +03     29
3. Abia Comets            17 8 4 5 18 16 +02     28
4. First Bank                17 8 2 7 21 18 +03     26
5. Gateway Utd            17 8 2 7 19 17 +02     26
6. MFM, Lagos           17 6 7 4 24 19 +05      25
7. Ekiti Utd                  17 8 1 8 16 14 +02     25
8. Prime                       17 7 4 6 14 13 +01     25
9. B/Insurance             17 7 3 7 15 15 -00      24
10. ABS                     17 7 3 7 17 19 -02      24
11. Akwa Starlets       17 6 4 7 11 15 -04      22
12. S/Stores                17 6 3 8 17 19 -02     21
13. COD, Lagos         17 6 3 8 13 17 -04      21
14, Go-Round            17 6 2 9 13 14 -01      20
15. Remo stars           17 5 4 8 14 20 -06      19
16 UNICEM Rovers  17 4 5 8 09 16 -07     17
...........

Globacom Premier and Nigeria National League Week 18 and 17 results

 Globacom Premier League Week 18

Rangers            1    Kaduna Utd   0
FC Taraba        1    Sharks       0
Warri Wolves   2    Nasarawa Utd 1
Sunshine           3    El-Kanemi    2
Akwa Utd       2    Crown FC     1
Kano Pillars     1    Enyimba      0
Dolphins          3    Lobi Stars   1
Bayelsa Utd     3    Heartland    4
Abia Warriors  2    Gombe Utd    1
Giwa FC         3    Nembe City   0

Nigeria National League Week 17
 Group A

Kwara Utd         2 Sokoto Utd   0
Ranchers Bees   2 Kogi Utd        0
TEAP                0 DSS, Kaduna  1
Spotlight             4 Mighty Jets     1
Adamawa Utd    1 FRSC            1
Wikki Tourists    3 Jigawa Stars   0
Plateau Utd       4 Ngr Prisons     0
Supreme Court  0 Tornadoes      0
Group B

MFM, Lagos     3 UNICEM Rovers 1
Prime                 1 Go-Round          0
Abia comets       2 S/Stores             1
Gateway Utd     2 COD, Lagos       0
Shooting Stars    2 Remo Stars         0
Gabros In't'l       2 ABS                    0
Ekiti Utd            1 Akwa Starlets     0
First Bank         1 Bendel Insurance  0
........