Sports
2018/2019 NWPL Kicks Off With Eight Fixtures, Today
The Nigeria Women Premier League ( NWPL) kicks off today after a long break. Eight games will be played across all centres in the federation, including Rivers Angels Vs FC Robo, Sunshine Queens Vs Nasarawa Amazons, Confluence Queens Vs Ibom Angels.
Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt will play host to FC Robo of Lagos at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Last season’s opening fixture saw FC Robo picking a draw in far away Lafia against then defending champion of the NWPL Nasarawa Amazons. This season again, the Lagos Landladies will face another tough away trip to Port Harcourt as they face AITEO Cup finalist, Rivers Angels.
The jewel of Rivers are determined to start on a winning note and won’t take anything lightly. FC Robo might miss the services of key players like Chidinma Okeke and Folashade Ijamilusi who are presently at the National U20 camp ahead of the 2019 all African Games in Morroco. Rivers Angels seem good to go with a win in today’s match.
Bayelsa Queens are keen to play their opponent Kaduna Queens, today at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa.
“Moses Aduku is tactically very good and has the players to win on a good day. Kaduna Queens are new in the NWPL and would be playing a very difficult game.
The defending champion are clear favourite for this game and would want to score some goals. Bayelsa Queens may win this, as home advantage with their fans cheering them to victory, they would no doubt carry the day, as they will definitely not allow their visitors (Kaduna Queens ) keep them quiet on their ground.
Abia Angels will welcome Invincible Angels at the Ginger Onwusibe Stadium, Umuahia.
There will be goals at the Ginger Onwusibe Stadium on today where Invincible Angels will be playing their first premier league game against Abia Angels. Abia Angels are an unpredictable team, one minute they really impress and then, when you fancy them to be tough to win, they get ripped apart. But not against Invincible Angels in Umuahia. The Ann Chiejiene tutored side should win comfortably.
Also, Confluence Queens will be hosting Ibom Angels at the Lokoja Township Stadium.
This should be an entertaining one, both sides will have a go. Confluence Queens is expected to win, take it or leave it, the ‘New direction ladies’ can not afford to lose to Ibom Angels again, after losing to them by two goals to nil in the quarter final of the AITEO Cup. Ibom Angels are also a very strong side but will find it extremely difficult at the Lokoja Township Stadium as the likes of Esther Kanu, Christopher Precious will be too much for the ‘Orange Ladies’ defence.
Meanwhile, Dream Stars Ladies are set to receive Edo Queens at the Agege Township Stadium, Lagos.
Edo Queens are a dangerous side; they’ve been really good recently, are hard to beat and have a couple of match-winners in their team. Dream Stars knows what it means to play in the premier league and have signed some great players that will be keen to throw the pressure on Edo Queens early in the game.
It could be a big day for the ‘pride of Lagos’ . I doubt if Dream Stars Ladies will get away with this one, even though they are playing at home.
Osun Babes look good to host Delta Queens at the Osogbo City Stadium, Osogbo.
It will be an interesting game with the pressure more on the home team. Osun Babes FC have always defeated Delta Queens at the Osogbo City Stadium but both sides met at the Round of 16 of the AITEO Cup and the ‘Okowa Ladies’ won by two goals to nil.
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