Sports
Enugu State Football League Ends, July 29
The Enugu State Secretary of Football Association, Francis Ugwu, says Olicon Rovers FC and Purple Krown Academy have reached the finals of the ongoing 2017 Enugu State League.
The secretary said that both the third place match and the final match would be played at 9a.m. and 11 a.m. respectively on July 29.
Ugwu told newsmen in Enugu recently that he was overwhelmed with joy with the outcome of the league so far.
He said that the third place match would be between Enugu Angels FC and AC United FC at 9a.m., while Olicon Rovers and Purple Krown would slug it out for the trophy at 11 a.m.
He, however, thanked the technical crews of the clubs that had been featuring in the league for their adherence to the rules of the game.
“The game of football is not a do-or-die affair and I am happy that the clubs that did not make it to the finals understand such.
“If you cannot make it this year, next year’s edition is almost around the corner,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Coach Adewale Alao of Purple Krown Academy has said that his team will do its possible best to win the league.
“As the 2015 champions, we cannot afford to miss the trophy this year and now that we have reached the final, lifting the trophy is our main target.
“There are two things that work for us, favour from God and our ability to study our opponent’s past matches.
“We do watch each match of the ongoing league and analysed it, that is why we were able to reach this level,’’he said.
On his part, Godspower Nwajagu, Chairman of Olicon Rovers FC said that his club was ready to finish the league on a good note.
“We lost the 2016 edition to Coal City Youths FC by 1-0; it will please me to go home with the trophy this time around.
“I wish God will compensate us with the 2017 state league trophy on July 29,’’ he added.
It would be recalled that Olicon FC defeated Enugu Angels FC by 2-1 on Saturday in the first semi-finals, while Purple Krown Academy brushed aside AC United 3-1 in the second semifinals.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor
