AFCON disappointment: Aluko savours meeting Tiwa Savage, Dr SID in Uyo

UNKNOWN to many, Nigerian international Sone Aluko is excited by meeting two of Nigerian top artistes Tiwa Savage and Dr SID in Uyo, after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
 
The reigning African champions on Wednesday night forced Bafana Bafana of South Africa to a 2-2 draw, in the last group AFCON qualifier at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo.
 
The Hull City forward who scored both goals in the ill-fated match said he was sad despite his heroics to save Nigeria from another home defeat in the AFCON qualifying series.
 
Aluko who featured for Nigeria at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt, via social media however, said meeting top Nigerian singers gave him some respite after a disappointing outing by the Eagles.
 
"Not the victory celebration we wanted but still amazing to see live performances and meet @TiwaSavage & @IamDrSID," the player in his twitter handle, Sone Aluko ‏@sonealuko wrote.
 
The former Birmingham City player who came on as a substitute for Raheem Lawal in the second half, further acknowledged the support of soccer-loving Nigerians, but lamented that he was unable to celebrate his brace as it should be owing to the misfortune of the Eagles.
 
"Thanks for the support/love on here and in Uyo! As for the two goals. Wow, realisation of a dream. Wish I could enjoy them properly!
 
"Super Eagles have been through worse. I know because I was a fan before player. I get the
frustration. We'll be back 100 per cent.

 
"So disappointed about the result + no AFCON. Either You win or you learn. Our team & Nigerian football will learn from this and be stronger!" Aluko who represented England at U-16, U-17 and U-18 levels stated.
 
Meanwhile, coach Stephen Keshi was short of words after the match.
"Maybe we took South Africa for granted and we paid dearly for this," said the man who coached Nigeria to win the AFCON title in 2013.
 
A brace from AFC Bournemouth striker Tokelo Rantie ensured South Africa topped the group with 12 points as the Red Devils of Congo picked the second ticket to the 2015 AFCON with 10 points following their 1-0 away win over the Jediane Falcons of Sudan.
 
Nigeria which last missed the AFCON in 2012 under coach Samson Siasia this time finished
third on the table with eight points.

Caption: Aluko with Tiwa Savage (left) and Dr SID.

AFCON qualifier: Nigeria/South Africa match shifted to 6pm

THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has confirmed that the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between the Super Eagles and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, billed for Wednesday at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo will now kick off at 6pm, an hour behind the earlier scheduled time.

NFF's head of international department, Bola Oyeyode, disclosed this on Monday adding that: “We got information that the match will now kick off at 6pm, and not 5pm as earlier slated”.

Already, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has named Mauritanian Rajindraparsad Seechurn as the centre referee for the game. He will be assisted by compatriots, Belkrishna Bootun as assistant referee one, Vivian Vally as assistant referee two and Parmendra Nunkoo as reserve referee, while Ghanaian Laryea
Louis serves as the match commissioner.

Both sides settled for a barren draw during the first meeting in Cape Town, but the reigning African champions are condemned to win this time to be able to defend the title they won last year in South Africa.

Nigeria with goals from Ikechukwu Uche and Aaron Samuel shamed the Red Devils of the Republic of the Congo before their teeming fans in Point Noire, 2-0 to brighten its hope of playing in 2015 AFCON with seven points in the group being led by South Africa with 11 points.

Caption: Aaron Samuel, was on target last weekend against the Red Devils.

NNL abandoned match: Kwara Utd demands 3 points against Ranchers

THE management of Kwara United has urged the Nigeria National League to award three points and three goals to the team following the harassment meted out to its players and officials by fans of Ranchers Bees during the week 30 NNL game played last Saturday in Kaduna.

The match was abandoned in the second half with scores at 2-2 while the Ilorin-based side claimed it deserves board room victory, as the laid down rules guiding the competition had been breached by the home team.

Alhaji Haruna Maigidansanma, the General Manager of the Ilorin-based side, accused the management of Ranchers Bees of instigating their fans against Kwara United players and officials during the game to round off the season.

Maigidansanma said in a statement that the harassment of officials led to the beating of the team's cameraman and the Special Assistant to the Kwara Governor on Sport Matters.

He claimed that due to harassment, the match officials allowed Ranchers to go violent on the visitors alleging that his goalkeeper was held down before they (Ranchers) scored their first goal.

"The fans forcefully took the ball boys uniforms after half time and our officials were beaten. They threw objects at our bench and on the pitch making our players to lose concentration which led to their second goal.

"The fans beat up our cameramen and denied them the opportunity to film where the match officials were being beaten up," Maigidansanma claimed in the statement.

It further stated that it took the match officials more than 20 minutes before they came out for the second half.

The management of Afonja Warriors also condemned the alleged action of Ranchers Bees' boss
Abdulazeez Muhammed who he claimed verbally attacked the match officials at half time and also asked home fans to attack some of the team's (Kwara United) officials.

The statement also said Kwara United was denied opportunity of going to the dressing room at half time as a result of harassment, just as it decried the action of the security personnel at the arena as shameful, as they watched when the team's cameraman and officials were being beaten.

Meanwhile, both Ranchers Bees and Kwara United are in contention for promotion to the Globacom Premier League with Ranchers Bees having 51 points, while Kwara United had 49 points. Wikki Tourists for now remains the only team in group A to have secured promotion having finished with 53 points.


Caption: Segun Alebiosu, Kwara United's leading scorer.

 Division A table at Week 30:


1. Wikki Tourists                   30 17 2 11 53
2. Ranchers Bees                  29 17 0 12  51
3. Niger Tornadoes               30 16 2 12 50
4. Kwara United                    29 15 4 10 49
5. Plateau United                  30 15 4 11 49
6. Mighty Jets                      30 15 2 13 47
7. Kogi United                      30 15 1 14 46
8. Adamawa United             30 14 4 12 46
9. Spotlight FC                     30 14 3 13 45
10. Sokoto United                30 14 2 14 44
11. Jigawa Stars                  30 13 4 13 43
12. Supreme Court              30 13 3 14 42
13. FRSC FC                       30 09 11 10 38
14. DSS FC                          30 12 02 16 38
15. TEAP FC                       30 09 04 17 31
16. Ngr Prisons                   30 04 06 20 18

Crown spanks Akwa Utd 3-0, ends in relegation zone

CROWN FC of Ogbomoso on Sunday rounded off its campaign in the 2014 Globacom Premier League with a 3-0 drubbing of Akwa United at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, but the result could
not save them from going on relegation.

It was the first victory recorded by the Ajilete Boys under coach Hakeem Busari since he took over from veteran coach Lawrence Akpokona, who was relieved of his job despite the team's 1-0 win in Ibadan over El-Kanemi Warriors.

Onyekachi Okafor opened the scoring for Crown backed by a handful of its faithful at the terraces, in the 40th minute when he sent the ball to the roof of the net during a goal mouth scramble.

Bode Daniel doubled the lead before half time as he pounced on a loose ball to beat goalkeeper Iboro Akpakpan already badly positioned.

Okafor in the 65th minute recorded a brace when his glancing header beat Akpakpan off Tare Oke's cross for his 10th goal of the season.
The Oyo State-owned side finished with 38 points and will now feature in the Nigeria National League (NNL) next season as stipulated in the rules guiding the Nigeria Premier League.

The three other teams which finished in the relegation zone are Gombe United with 50 points,
Kaduna United (39 points) and Nembe City, 28 points.

It will be recalled that this is the first time Gombe United will be demoted to the lower
league in the history of the Nigerian league.

Udoh turns Globacom Premier League goal king with 23 strikes

Enyimba striker Mfom Udoh on Sunday added a chapter to the history of the Nigerian league when he finished the 2014 Globacom Premier League season with 23 goals. 

Udoh achieved the feat when he netted twice on Sunday in Aba in the 3-1 win over league champions, Kano Pillars in a week 38 fixture.
 
The former Akwa United striker surpassed the all-time record of 20 goals goals set by Jude
Aneke three seasons ago.
 
Udoh opened the scoring for Enyimba which finished second on the log behind Pillars with 64 points, in the 18th minute while he doubled the lead before the stoppage time when he cashed in on the defensive blunder to beat goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai again.
 
He joined the hotshot race when he became the first player to score six goals (in his side's 6-0 win over Nembe City) in a single match in the Nigerian league.
 

It will be recalled the forward last season scored 15 goals for Akwa United before his move to the People's Elephant.
 
Former international and coach of Akwa United, Patrick Udoh was elated at the feat achieved by the striker saying: "Udoh has been a fantastic player all along and I congratulate him on this achievement. He is a player with a bright future".
 
Meanwhile, Enyimba following the victory equally bagged a CAF Champions League ticket with Pillars which retained the league title with 65 points, as Warri Wolves finished third with 61 points to bag the Confederation Cup ticket after a surprise 2-2 away draw with Nasarawa United at the Lafia Township Stadium.
 
Dolphins' Emem Eduok finished with 20 goals.
 
Caption: Mfom Udoh

Globacom Premier League Week 38 results:

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

How they finished
 
1• Kano Pillars                    38 +16  65 
2• Enyimba                          38 +23  64
3• Warri Wolves                  38 +11  61
4• Giwa FC                          38 +10  60
5• Nasarawa United           38 +06   59
6• Lobi Stars                       38 -06   59
7• Abia Warriors                38 +11   58
8• Rangers                         38 +08   58
9• Dolphins                         38 +11  55
10• Heartland                     38 +09   55
11• Sunshine Stars             38 +04   54
12• FC Taraba                    38 -06   53
13• Sharks                          38 +03   52
14• El-Kanemi Warriors    38 +08   51
15• Bayelsa United            38 -04   51
16• Akwa United                38 -07   51

          Relegation zone

17• Gombe United              38  +1 50
18• Kaduna United             38 -26 39
19• Crown FC                     38 -22 38
20• Nembe City                  38 -50 28

3SC, Wikki Tourists gain promotion back to premier league

SHOOTING Stars Sports Club (3SC) on Saturday at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan secured a 1-0 win over Akwa Starlets in the Nigeria National League last match of the season to seal their return to the Globacom Premier League in grand style.
 

It was the 15th consecutive home win by the Oluyole soccer lords this season as they topped group B table with 50 points and plus 16-goal advantage after 30 round of matches, ahead of Gabros International which equally finished with 50 points, but with plus six-goal advantage following its sensational 2-0 away win over Ekiti United.
 
The match hero in Ibadan turned out to be veteran defender Sylvester Ebiaku who converted the spot kick awarded 3SC barely two minutes into the game.
Akwa Starlets wasted what would have been an equaliser in the 20th minute as the spot kick awarded the side which was taken twice was ballooned, after the kicker had initially got it right.
 
The first kick converted was cancelled by the centre referee as one of his team-mates surged into the penalty box as the kick was being taken.
 
Wikki Tourists also returned to the Globacom Premier League after a season in the lower league as they topped group A with 53 points. The Tourists bagged three points and three goals without kicking the ball following the failure of the Nigeria Prisons FC to show up in Bauchi for the game.
 
However, the winner of the second ticket in the group is yet to be ascertained as the game between Ranch Bees and Kwara United at the Ranch Bees Stadium, Kaduna, was abandoned in the second half with scores at 2-2.
 
The visitors led 2-0 at half time before the Bees drew parity on resumption for the last half.
Niger Tornadoes finished the season with 50 points following their 2-1 victory over FRSC of Abuja at the Bako Kontagora memorial Stadium, Minna, but the result was not good enough to see them return to the elite league for now as the race is between Ranch Bees and Kwara United.
 
At the time of filing this report, the secretary of the NNL could not be reached on the abandoned match.   
Ranch Bees before the game had 50 points thus needed a draw to seal the promotion ticket, while the Afonja Warriors with 49 points needed outright win to scale through.
 
It will be recalled that Shooting Stars Sports Club, Wikki Tourists and Kwara United were relegated from the premier league last season.
NNL Week 30 results:
Division One A
 
Ranch Bees         2  Kwara Utd   2 (abandoned)
TEAP                 5  Sokoto Utd   1
Spotlight             1  Kogi Utd       0
Adamawa Utd    1  Mighty Jets    0
Wikki Tourists    3  Nigeria Prisons    0 (W/O)
Tornadoes          2  FRSC Abuja  1
Jigawa Stars       1  S/Court          0
Plateau Utd       3  DSS, Kaduna  0

Division B

Shooting Stars     1 Akwa Starlets  0
Ekiti Utd             0 Gabros             2
MFM                 2 ABS                 2
Prime                  3 COD Utd         0
B/Insurance         2 S/Stores           0
Go-Round          1 FirstBank           0
Gateway Utd     3 UNICEM Rovers 0 (WO)
Abia Comets     2 Remo Stars          0 

Caption: Sylvester Ebiaku, scores Shooting Stars' historic goal against Akwa Starlets.