Update on Awolowo Tennis Club 2016 Golden League

First round results: 

1. Ben Abitoye              beat Obinna Odigwe   6-2, 6-2
2. Yemi Asaleye            beat Green Opuada    6-2, 6-4
3. Otunba Dimeji          beat Fr Olowoyeye     7-5, 7-6
4. Ibrahim Ndaaba       beat Collins Okofu      6-0, 6-1
5. Captain Yusuf          beat Barr. Olubajo       6-4, 6-1
6. Ben Abitoye             beat Collins Okofu      6-2, 6-2
7. Chris Amadi             beat Tunji Adesina      6-3, 0-6, 6-4
8. Obinna Odigwe        beat Hadjh Ganiyu      6-1, 3-6, 7-5
9. Barr. Olubajo           beat Fr Olowoyeye      7-5, 6-0
10. Emmanuel Femi    beat T. Badmos            6-3, 7-5
11. Egnr Adekola        beat Hadjh Ganiyu       6-3, 7-6
12. Ibrahim Ndaaba   beat Bodunde Dolapo   6-0, 6-0
13. B. Sofumade        beat Ladipo Adepoju     4-6, 6-4, 6-2
14. Captain Yusuf      beat Obinna Odigwe     6-0, 6-0
15. Captain Yusuf      beat Emmanuel Femi    6-2, 6-0
16. Barr. Olubajo      beat Barr. Adepoju        7-6, 0-6, 6-3
17. Bodunde Dolapo   beat Alimi Ademola    7-5, 6-1
18. Otunba Dimeji    beat Emmanuel Femi    6-4, 6-0
19. Otunba Dimeji    beat Bodunde Dolapo   6-1, 6-0
20. Egnr Adekola     beat Tolulope Badmos  7-5, 6-3
21. Captain Yusuf    beat Green Opuada       6-1, 6-1
22. Captain Yusuf    beat Otunba Dimeji       6-0, 6-0
23. Captain Yusuf    beat Collins Okofu        6-0, 6-0
24. Green Opuada   beat Femi Yusuf            6-0, 6-1
25. Otunba Dimeji   beat Barr. Adepoju       6-1, 7-5
26. Green Opuada   beat Bodunde Dolapo   6-1, 6-0
27. Egnr. Adekola    beat Tunji Adesina       7-5, 6-3
28. Green Opuada   beat Obinna Odigwe     6-3, 6-3
29. Otunba Dimeji   beat B. Sofumade         6-3, 6-0
30. T. Badmos         beat Hadjh Ganiyu       6-3, 6-2  
31. Green Opuada  beat Egnr Adekola       6-1, 6-0
32. Fr. Olowoyeye   beat Obinna Odigwe    6-3, 6-3
33. T. Badmos        beat Collins Okofu        6-2, 7-5
34. T. Badmos        beat Bodunde Dolapo   6-1, 6-1

As of February 20, 2016.

                             Table


                                             P  W  L  PTS

1. Captain Yusuf                 6  6  0  18
2. Otunba Dimeji                6  5  1  15
3. Egnr. Adekola                5  4  1  12
4. Green Opuada               6  4  2  12
5. T. Badmos                      5  3  2  09
6. Ben Abitoye                  2  2  0  06
7. Ibrahim Ndaaba            2  2  0  06
8. Barr. Olubajo                2  2  1  06


 Caption: Obinna Odigwe in action.

 

Nigeria Premier League Match Day 2 fixtures

Wednesday, February 23, 2016

FC IfeanyiUbah    vs Nasarawa Utd (pp)
MFM                    vs Rivers Utd    
Enyimba                vs Shooting Stars (pp)
Lobi Stars             vs Sunshine Stars        
Akwa United         vs Ikorodu Utd (pp)
Abia Warriors      vs El-Kanemi Warriors      
Wikki Tourists     vs Heartland
Warri Wolves       vs Kano Pillars
Rangers               vs Plateau Utd
Niger Tornadoes vs FC Giwa 
.............

2016 Nigeria Premier League Week One results, scorers

Plateau United   2 Niger Tornadoes 1
FC Giwa             0 IfeanyiUbah         1
Nasarawa Utd   1 MFM                    2
Dolphins            1 Enyimba                0
Shooting Stars  0 Lobi Stars             1
Sunshine Stars 1 Akwa Utd              1
Ikorodu Utd     1 Abia Warriors        1
El-Kanemi        0 Wikki Tourists      1
Heartland        0 Warri Wolves         0
Kano Pillars    2 Rangers                 1


Week One scorers:

* Plateau Utd 2 Niger Tornadoes 1
Charles Okafor-Plateau Utd (16 mins)
Ibeh Johnson-Plateau Utd   (87 mins)
Kunle Issa-Tornadoes       (64 mins)

* Kano Pillars 2 Rangers 1
Chiamaka Madu-Rangers  (50 mins)
Gambo Mohammed-Pillars (88 mins)
Prince Aggreh--Pillars (90 mins)

* Nasarawa United 1 MFM Lagos 2
Musa Newman-MFM (18 mins)
Chukwuka Emmanuel-MFM (33 mins)
Ifeanyi Nweke-Nasarawa (75 mins)

* Sunshine Stars 1 Akwa United 1
Afolabi Okiki-Sunshine (12 mins)
Friday Ubong--Akwa Utd (24 mins)

* El-Kanemi Warriors 0 Wikki Tourists 1
Godwin Obaje (70mins)

* Rivers United 1 Enyimba 0
Frederick Obomate (65 mins)

* Shooting Stars 0 Lobi Stars 1
Kingsley Eduwo (10 mins)
 
* Ikorodu United 1 Abia Warriors 1
Ndifreke Effiong-Abia (34 mins)
Agbane Candy-Ikorodu  (55 mins)

* FC Giwa 0 FC IfeanyiUbah 1
Seka Pascal (45 mins)

Caption: Kingsley Eduwo (right) scores Lobi Stars' match winner against his former team, Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) at the Lekan Salami Sadium, Ibadan.

2016 Nigeria Premier League begins

Week One fixtures, Sunday, Feb. 21

Giwa                   vs IfeanyiUbah
Nasarawa Utd   vs MFM
Rivers Utd         vs Enyimba
Shooting Stars   vs Lobi Stars
Sunshine Stars  vs Akwa Utd
Ikorodu Utd      vs Abia Warriors
El-Kanemi        vs Wikki Tourists
Heartland         vs Warri Wolves
Kano Pillars     vs Rangers

Result:

Plateau Utd 2 Tornadoes 1





Line up of Plateau United:

Innocent Ndem   1
Charles Okafor  5
Daniel Itodo       3
Lankat Isiah     30
Bitrus Wash     34
Hamisu Sale    31
Reuben Bala     19
Sunday Ingbede 26
John Kim          35
Ibeh Johnson     27
Daddy Maurice 13

Reserves:

Okam Okoji      16
Golbe Elisha       6
John Boye         29
Mumini Haruna 23
Julious Nuhu      7
Shehu Sabole     8
Coach: Zachary Baraje

Line up of Niger Tornadoes:

Mustapha Salihu   99
Lanre Ferunyaro   3
Gabriel Wassa     17
Kingsley Salami    4
Omolayo Ibrahim  28
Adebayo Abiodun  6
Kunle Issac            38
Inamoto Godwin    30
Lukman Muhammad 20
Bolaji Adeyemo       8
Umar Abubakar       32

Reserves:

Omoregie Novas  1
Samuel Yswanya  2
Chinedu Blaze      5
Tasiu Lawal          7
Kayode Agboola 11
Wilfred Ammeh   22
Iliyasu Isiyaku    13
Coach: Abdullahi Usman Biffo
 
Scorers:
Charles Okafor-Plateau Utd (16 mins)
Ibeh Johnson-Plateau Utd   (87 mins)
Kunle Issa-Tornadoes       (64 mins)

Awolowo Tennis Club Golden League kicks off

THE Golden League of the Obafemi Awolowo Tennis Club (OATC) kicked off on Saturday (February 7), at the tennis courts of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, with nine games decided on the opening day.

According to the Club Captain of OATC, Mr Kunle Yusuf, the Golden League serves as the club's competition for rankings of members aside other competitions named after individuals.

The first round of the Golden League season would end in May, while the second round is scheduled to kick off in the first week of July, after the June break for Muslims fasting.

Yusuf, who is also the OATC top seed, stated that the Golden League provides members the opportunity to improve in their standard of play.

He noted that "there is bound to be an improvement if you are involved in a competition that mere playing for fitness only."

The Golden League will see all interested members play one  another on a two-legged affair.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Abitoye began the Golden League on a good note as he recorded two wins on the
opening day. Abitoye first defeated Obinna Odigwe 6-2, 6-2 and Collins Okofu 6-2, 6-2 to amass six points.

Yemi Asaleye also bagged three points when he dumped Green Opuada 6-2, 6-4, as Olatunde Oladimeji recorded a 7-5, 7-6 victory over Father Martin Olowoyeye, while Ibrahim Ndaaba also defeated Collins
Okofu in his second game of the day 6-0, 6-1.

Captain Yusuf pipped Barrister Leye Olubajo 6-4, 6-1, as Chris Amadi defeated Tunji Lam Adesina after three sets which ended in 6-3, 0-6 and 6-4, while Obinna Odigwe in his second game of the day triumphed this time over Ganiyu Salman after a pulsating three-set game which ended in 6-1, 3-6 and 7-5.

Barrister Olubajo later in his second game of the day also defeated Olowoyeye 7-5, 6-0.

It will be foolish to sell Ighalo now-Watford captain

WATFORD captain Troy Deeney believes it will be counter productive for the newly-promoted English Premier League side to sell Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo to any prospective bidder for now.
 
Ighalo has been in a devastating form this season scoring 14 goals so far in the top flight after 20 goals last season to aid the Hornets' promotion from the English Championship.
 
Teams in England and Europe which include Atletico Madrid and AS Roma are reportedly eyeing the signature of the Super Eagles striker, but Deeney believes the Watford owner, Gino Pozzo will not make a mistake of allowing Ighalo to go.

 
“He (Ighalo) ain’t going in January. If no one wanted any of our players we’d be c**p. So, come and want him as much as you want but I know Gino [Pozzo, the Watford owner] and it just wouldn’t make sense,” Deeney told theguardian.com.
 
“Why would he sell a striker and want to stay in the league? The value of selling Odion for, what would he be worth? £20 million, £25 million? Or staying up and getting £200 million? Simple business maths, he’s not going to sell him. Odion doesn’t come in saying: ‘I want to leave.’ He’ll just keep doing what he’s doing. We just laugh at it.”
 
Ighalo, it will be recalled on Monday night became the first player to score in six consecutive EPL games for Watford in a 1-2 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road. The strike was also the 34th goal by Ighalo in 2015, who emerges the best striker in English all top four divisions.

Meanwhile, the Quique Sanchez Flores-piloted Watford is eighth on the EPL table with 29 points from 19 games.

Caption: Ighalo shows skill during a game.

Mikel impresses Hiddink despite 2-2 draw with Watford

RETURNEE manager of Chelsea, Guus Hiddink showered encomiums on John Mikel Obi despite the team's 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on a Boxing Day.
 
The Nigeria international came on to replace Cesc Fabregas in the 46th minute, and his inclusion brought some level of stability into the Blues defence to the delight of his Dutch manager.
 
Hiddink who took over from sacked Portuguese manager, Jose Mourinho, said on the Blues official website that he was impressed with the performance of Mikel, whose close range shot almost delivered full points for the London side.
 
"I liked our intensity but we also have to look for a balance in the team. It’s a very attacking-orientated team.
"When we have a midfield with all creative players it’s beautiful but sometimes you need a balance and I thought John Obi gave us that balance.
 
“When you have the creative players such as Matic, Oscar, Willian coming inside and Cesc as well, sometimes you have to choose in a different way," said Hiddink, who had earlier coached Chelsea in 2009 season.
 
Meanwhile, Chelsea will on Monday night Manchester United, whose manager, Louis van Gaal, has been under intense pressure to resign following a spate of poor results.
 
The Red Devils lost 0-2 to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium also on a Boxing Day with goals from Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic thus; need victory to save the job of van Gaal, who is equally ready to throw in the towel if the result of Monday's game call for it.

Caption: Mikel Obi.