Posted by By Ademola Olajire on
Kano Pillars recharge for their aspiration to win a continental ticket this season with a visit to Julius Berger at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta this afternoon, knowing they have to do so much to contain the homers who have continental football ambition of their own.
Kano Pillars recharge for their aspiration to win a continental ticket this season with a visit to Julius Berger at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta this afternoon, knowing they have to do so much to contain the homers who have continental football ambition of their own.
Team Coach Ufere Nwankwo was not quite happy with the manner of his team's defeat in their last away game, against Shooting Stars in Ibadan, and he's bound to make a few changes in tactics and personnel as his boys file out at Rock City.
It is one of the Week 23 matches of this year's Globacom Premier League, and things are only just normalizing after the tug-of-war between the organizing body, Nigeria Football League board and the Nigeria Football Association over the appointment of match officials.
With the seven Week 20 games played at the resumption of the second round now cancelled, all the teams know they have to fight for every point at home and on the road as no one can correctly predict what will happen between now and the end of the campaign, especially as it regards cancellations, power tussle and borderline decisions.
Executive Secretary of the League board, Salisu Abubakar told Saturday Sports on phone from Abuja during the week: "I can assure you that things have actually normalized between the NFL and NFA and we are working together to see to the smooth running of the remaining part of the season. There is no problem again.
"The NFL is working in the interest of the Nigerian game and the NFA are doing the same thing. We are determined to lift the status of the Nigerian league and the present disagreements are normal when you set out to achieve the best in an area.
"This is the first year of the Nigeria Football League board. But you will agree with me that we have been doing our best to see that things run without hitches and have taken firm decisions in the interest of the game. There has been no favouritism or nepotism in anything we have done and those still criticizing what we are doing should be gracious enough to admit that the teething problems have been few and far between.
"Football is serious business, and we are not joking here. All we need is the support of Nigerians and we will do our best to make the Nigerian league one of the best in the world very soon".
As Salisu Abubakar exudes optimism, so do players of Julius Berger, ahead of today's big duel with Kano Pillars, who lashed them when both teams met at the Pillars Stadium in Kano earlier in the season.
Coach Fatai Amoo has been able to secure a few more players in the mid-season break and he would be deploying them to battle as the Adewale Bridge Boys seek a route back to the continent after losing out of the Coca-Cola FA Cup.
Berger represented Nigeria in the old-style African Champions cup in 1992, losing out in the second round to Wydad Casablanca from Morocco. But in 1995 and 2003, they reached the final of the now-defunct African Cup Winners Cup, losing also to North African opposition. In 1995, they were beaten by JS Kabylie of Algeria and two years ago, suffered a 3-2 aggregate defeat by Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia - the same score-line with which they were denied by Kabylie eight years earlier.
Amoo, ex-international midfielder, has been doing his best to lift the team in the face of a real exodus at the beginning of the season, which saw the departure of stars like Ishola Shaibu to Africa Sports of Cote d'Ivoire, and Ndubuisi Eze, Taiwo Ajibola, Uche Sheriff and last year's top scorer, Kabiru Alausa.
However, Lagosians have the opportunity to see the new sensation of the local scene, Nassarawa United in action as the Solid Miners tackle Nigeria Ports Authority at the Onikan Stadium waterfront.
Coaches Ben Duamlong and Daniel Amokachi would be interested in guarding jealously the team's nine-match unbeaten run, having sent packing Coca-Cola FA Cup veteran campaigners Enugu Rangers from the competition and only a week after they virtually disgraced another traditional powerhouse side, Shooting Stars 3-0 in Lafia.
With all their macho-talk and chest-beating about their classroom of new players, the 1995 double champions were pole-axed 3-0 by the Premiership newcomers in a match that might have signaled the beginning of the end of the reign of former star player, Kafaru Alabi as team coach.
Alabi oversaw a none-match unbeaten run in the weeks following his take-over from Godfrey Esu but he has now led the team to elimination from the prestigious Coca-Cola FA Cup competition in the hands of unheralded SEC of Abuja and disgraceful defeats in the hands of smaller Premiership sides.
While there was so much hue and cry about poor officiating leading to their 1-0 defeat in the hands of Kano Pillars at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Week 19, the club's management will also recall that Alabi was in charge when Julius Berger came and pounded the Oluyole Warriors 2-1 right t their hallowed Lekan Salami Stadium in Week 18, and there was consensus the team failed to sparkle against Pillars in Ibadan in one of the now-cancelled Week 20 games, even as they won.
Nassarawa, who drew 1-1 with 11-time finalists Rangers at their Lafia Stadium before going to Enugu to win 2-1 against the Flying Antelopes to be eligible for the quarter -finals, arrive Lagos with bounce in their gait and tremendous confidence about what they can do to the low-flying NPA.
Friday Ekong, one of their star players, said during the week that the players are determined to keep posting quality results like the ones against Rangers in order to realize their ambition of playing in the continent next year. For sure, sports-loving Governor Abdullahi Adamu would be thrilled by such achievement by the Premiership newcomers.
On their part, Shooting Stars welcome another high-flying side, Sharks to the Lekan Salami Stadium in what could turn out a thorough examination of the homers' credentials especially in terms of their new recruits.
Coach Shaibu Amodu has gradually paddled his Sharks out of relegation waters and after successfully negotiating their Coca Cola FA Cup Round of 16 against El-Kanemi of Maiduguri, await their potentially -explosive quarter -final duel with city rivals Dolphin FC with bated breath.
Every match leading to that August 10 date at the Liberation Stadium will be approached with all seriousness as Amodu and his boys strive to prove to Governor Peter Odili that even though they are not playing in the continent like Dolphin, they also have quality stuff and they are not just a money -wasting project.
Amodu is the man who led the triumvirate that rescued Nigeria's World Cup 2002 qualifying boat from the deep waters and there are indications he could be called upon again to join hands with Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia and Daniel Amokachi (who all played under him) to save the present precarious situation, following Philippe Troussier's withdrawal.
However, as he leads his boys out in Ibadan this afternoon, the multi-lingual Amodu's immediate concern is how to pick at least a draw from the Ibadan slaughter -house, where fans of the Oluyole Warriors believe their team should win always.
Amodu will charge team captain Martins Datoru, Oginga Odinga, Emeka Lucky, Charles Omokaro, Ogbonnaya Abosi and Endurance Alaboru to believe in themselves and fly against the Stars.
Coach Kafaru Alabi, knowing his neck will definitely be on the line should his boys flunk this opportunity to amass three points, would guard against that, as he expects to field Flying Eagles reserve keeper, Kola Ige, and Taiwo Ajibola and former Enyimba left back Ajibade Omolade would bring new touches and ideas to the set-up.
Omolade and Mutiu Adegoke actually did an exchange, with the latter heading to Aba at the beginning of the season, and the People's Elephant's management seem to have complete faith in him, as against Omolade who was part of the team that won the African Champions League twice in the last two years.
The imperiled African champions are away to Loveday Omoruyi-coached Zamfara United, who are being told by Governor Ahmed Sani to believe they can also be African champions! To do that, the boys from Gusau have to first win the Premier League, to be eligible to represent Nigeria in the Champions League. At the moment, they are far off that track, but with 18 matches left in the campaign, you will agree that anything is possible.
Enyimba don't seem to know what has hit them in the past few weeks, as they struggled to defeat academy side, Paulson from Benin City in the Coca-Cola FA Cup and have taken only one of 12 possible points in the first round of the CAF Champions league group phase.
Team coach Okey Emordi is talking about having more defenders than attackers than the teams that won in 2003 and 2004, but no one is going any excuse from him should the best football club in Africa in the past two years surrender their title without a brave fight.
Another team on the back-foot and whose coach is countenancing the axe is Kwara United, bundled out of the FA Cup by pro one Bayelsa United and whose fans cannot remember the last time they won a match. What is happening, Kadiri Ikhana?
There are talks of too much pressure on the coach and his boys but even if anxiety is the ready excuse for failing in home matches, why have they not been playing well away from, where expectations cannot be so high?
Against El-Kanemi Warriors today at the Ilorin Township Stadium, the spectators will only want to see their team pick three points. Anything else would spell disaster, and the message already in the rumour mill about Clemens Westerhorf being positioned for Ikhana's job could gain some more octaves.
Two mediocre sides, as far as this season is concerned Wikki Tourists and Niger Tornadoes clash at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna, with Tornadoes' supporters unsure of what to expect. Their team is in the habit of flunking great opportunities and few would be surprised if they lose to Wikki. But the Bauchi Tigers themselves have not being firing on all cylinders and the fans could be treated to a boring affair.
Tomorrow, Iwuanyanwu Nationale are away to Dolphin FC of Port Harcourt at the Liberation Stadium, where a week ago, the ‘Fishes' secured three points in their first match of the Caf Confederation Cup group phase with a 2-1 defeat of Arab Contractors of Egypt.
A potentially-explosive affair is on hand at the Abubakar Umar Stadium, Gombe, where Enugu Rangers and Gombe United duel for three points that would further improve the fortunes of either of the two well-placed sides on the table. In Oba, near Onitsha, Gabros of Nnewi take on Insurance of Benin City, while Olusegun Odegbami's Gateway FC are away to Coca-Cola FA Cup quarter -finalists Lobi Stars at the Aper Aku Stadium.