Sports
Enyimba, Rivers United In Goalless Friendly
Both Enyimba and Rivers rued missed chances in front of goal after they played out a goalless draw in a pre-season friendly in Calabar.
It was a good workout for both sides with just days to the start of the 2016/17 NPFL season and the Enyimba coach Gbenga Ogunbote said they ought to have put away their chances.
“I am still not completely satisfied (with the state of my team) but it is still a team in the making,” he said.
“We should have scored some goals in the game and we need to work on correcting those mistakes.
“Even if we had won (against Rivers United), we still would have had a few things that we need to perfect.”
Riveras United coach Stanley Eguma also said they could improve their finishing.
“It was a good game and Enyimba played well,” he said.
“We had scoring chances, but failed to convert them and that is something that we really need to work on.
“All the same, that is why these sort of matches are played; to help us identify and correct mistakes.”
Rivers United started on the front foot at the UJ Esuene Stadium and should have opened the scoring in the third minute, but Emeka Ogbugh failed to reach Bolaji Sakin’s cross on the far side.
Emeka Atoloma also had a clear sight of goal, but failed to score in the 19th minute following impressive work by Nzube Anaezemba and Lukman Mohammed, who combined delightfully to carve open the Enyimba defence.
‘The Pride of Rivers’ were the dominant side in the first half and were extremely unfortunate not to finally get off the mark in the 35th minute, when Anaezemba missed an open goal with a right-footed drive which flew marginally wide.
The visitors continued to enjoy the better of the goal scoring opportunities in a frenetic half with Ogbugh fluffing his lines twice within a minute as the first period came to an end.
Enyimba also had their moments too, most notably in the 36th minute when Joseph Osadiaye’s fierce long-range drive failed to trouble Sunday Rotimi in the United goal.
If the first half belonged to United, the second was pretty much all about the People’s Elephants as they pinned the Port Harcourt side to their half for most parts.
Osadiaye, Ifegwu Ojukwu, Stephen Chukwude, Ikechukwu Ibenegbu and Mfon Udoh all came close to scoring for the two-time African champions in a second half that ebbed and flowed.
Ibrahim Mustapha missed the best chance of the game, four minutes after the restart as he managed to plant a free header wide from two yards after he was played in by captain, Udoh on the right.
Rivers United and Enyimba will both open their respective league campaigns with tricky home fixtures on Sunday.
Enyimba will face Sunshine Stars, while United welcome El Kanemi Warriors to the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt.
Heartland Technical Manager, Emmanuel Amuneke has praised his players for not losing focus at the crucial moment in Sunday’s 2-1 home win over Shooting Stars in a NPFL Matchday 24 fixture in Owerri.
The Naze Millionaires defeated the Oluyole Warriors through Chukwuma Agor and John Bassey goals in the 31st and 88th minutes with Mustapha Adam’s 80th minute spot kick a mere consolation for the visitors.
Amuneke while speaking to journalists shortly after the encounter, said his boys showed the zeal and determination to seal the three points and that despite the shenanigans of the centre referee, Kolawole Emmanuel, the boys were never troubled.l
“We were eager to get the three points and we were aware Shooting Stars are a good side and won’t allow us to have our way easily,” Amuneke told journalists in Owerri.
“We planned for them and almost throughout the entire game, they were never a threat to our team. We were able to control the game from the beginning. It was unfortunate how the game ended. We were just focussed on the three points and we are thrilled we got it. It was a very good game from both sides but we subjected them to constant pressure almost throughout the game.”
While he was asked if he believed his boys could finish the season impressively, Amuneke was evasive but noted that he and his players would continue to work harder.
“Everything in line is possible but we know that nothing happens without hard work. We will continue to work harder and continue to see how we can grow as a team. We have a lot of young players in the team. Some of them just got their topflight breakthrough.
“We didn’t lose focus at the time of the controversies. We continued to do the same thing we have been doing and taking the game to them.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, turned the sod of the new Olympic-standard 25,000-capacity Bayelsa Stadium project at Igbogene, Yenagoa, as part of the activities marking the fifth anniversary of the Senator Douye Diri administration.
The former Nigerian leader performed the ground-breaking ceremony as Governor Diri restated his appeal to the federal government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), oil firms operating in the state and the private sector to join hands with his administration to develop sporting talents.
The Federal Government through the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) equally thumped up Governor Diri for initiating the project.
Dr. Jonathan expressed delight over the project, saying as a Bayelsan, he was duty bound to celebrate with the state government for the progress so far achieved.
He lauded Diri’s developmental strides, urging him not to rest on his laurels and that the contractor and the state government should ensure the project met the highest standards.
Jonathan also called on the state and federal governments to set up a sports fund to cater for sportsmen after their active days and encourage younger ones to be involved in sports.
He said: “This is my state and I have to celebrate with the government for the progress so far made. This is an iconic project that will develop the state. Please do not rest on your laurels as we want this stadium to meet the best standards.
“I am happy with the presence of relevant federal government officials. I hope they will guide the state well and support where necessary.
“As a country, we must have a fund to care for sportsmen. The federal and state government can think about it so that the younger generation will be interested in sports.
“I am happy that you gave a target of 24 months and I hope that by that time I will escort President Tinubu to Bayelsa to inaugurate it.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has condoled the family of former Nigeria international midfielder, Ayo Ogunlana, who died in Kaduna on Friday after observing his early-morning walk.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, showered tributes on the departed midfield pearl, who was a star attraction during a number of important Nigeria FA Cup battles in the 1980s and held sway in the middle for the Super Eagles in the late 1980s, and at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Algeria.
“We are very sad to learn of the sudden passing of Ayo Ogunlana, only a couple of weeks after the demise of another former Eagle, Moses Effiong (a member of the 1980 AFCON-winning Green Eagles squad, in far-away USA). Ogunlana was a great midfielder who made playing football look so easy with his majestic touches and turns, and his magnificent free-kicks.
“We pray that the Almighty will grant both of them eternal rest and grant the families they have left behind the fortitude to bear the losses.”
Ogunlana was magisterial in the midfield as Nigeria overhauled Guinea and Zimbabwe to qualify for the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, and was imperial against Cameroon in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Ibadan that the Super Eagles won with an emphatic 2-0. He also played in the 1990 ECOWAS Cup competition that Nigeria hosted in Kaduna.
