Posted by Ademola Olajire on
This year's Premier League season comes to a close tomorrow with the leaders all playing on home front against teams that have little or nothing to play for.
•As League season ends tomorrow
This year's Premier League season comes to a close tomorrow with the leaders all playing on home front against teams that have little or nothing to play for. Champions, Enyimba FC of Aba, host Gabros International of Nnewi in Aba in what should be a roll-over for the two-time African champions.
Proprietor of Gabros International, Gabriel Chukwuma, can at least heave a sigh of relief that his team remains in the Premier League, and lives to fight another day. For the People's Elephant, it is the perfect setting to celebrate their double championship, having beaten Lobi Stars from Makurdi to lift the Coca-Cola FA Cup in Port Harcourt last month.
Team captain and goalie, Bamidele Aiyenugba, is quite exultant as the hour draws near: 'We have dreamt of winning the double ever since that night in Cairo that we realized we were out of the CAF Champions League.
'Our determination at the beginning of the season was to win the Champions League for a record third time consecutively and reclaim our league title. But with the Champions League gone, we resolved to win the League and FA Cup, especially since we had not been able to win the FA Cup before.
'Victory over Gabros will provide a celebrating forum for us after our league triumph was confirmed on Monday."
After playing 37 matches, the People's Elephant have 69 points, and are the only team in the campaign to have scored 60 goals! On Monday, their champions status was confirmed after Enugu Rangers lost 1-0 to Dolphin FC in Port Harcourt, meaning they can no longer catch up with the Aba millionaires. Rangers have 64 points.
From goalkeeper Aiyenugba to defenders Ode Ogah, Nojim Raji, Uche Sheriff, Mutiu Adegoke, Yusuf Mohammed, Musa Aliyu, Muri Ogunbiyi, Chiedozie Johnson, Emeka Akwueme, Ifeanyi Obediah, Daniel Njoku, Solomon Abwo, Prince Olomu, Atanda Sakibu, Eric Fasindoh, Joetex Frimpong, Kola Ademola and Kevin Njoku, the Enyimba warriors have conducted a brilliant season and deserve the popping of the champagne after tomorrow's last round of matches.
Enugu Rangers, second at 64 points, would be all out against Kwara United from Ilorin in what is the year-ending treat for the people of the Coal City.
The Flying Antelopes have finally broken the barrier to CAF Champions League ticket, and have definitely picked the second slot after Enyimba. For Coach Lawrence Akpokona, it is the reward for hard work, perseverance and persistence for a team that has been somewhat under-funded by the Enugu State Government - a fact to which Governor Chimaroke Nnamani once admitted.
The former Insurance of Benin handler and former Super Eagles assistant coach has been attracting offers from clubs like Dolphin FC of Port Harcourt, whose financial war-chest is much larger. But he sticks to the Coal City darlings as they make their CAF Champions League bow after three successive Confederation Cup journeys.
Rangers were eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2003 CAF Confederation Cup by Raja Casablanca, and lost out in the final group stage last year to the infamous head-to-head rule after finishing level on points with Asante Kotoko of Ghana. The Nigerian team should have been the one in the final but they lost 3-1 to Kotoko in Kumasi and won 2-1 in Enugu.
This year, they failed to even reach the group stage after losing 1-0 to Royal Armed Forces of Morocco away and winning 2-1 in Enugu, crashing out on the away goal rule.
'It is always a surprise how we get to meet up with our match appointments and do other things that other clubs do, and go ahead to win matches", said a source close to the club. 'The government has been seriously under- funding the club and credit must go to Davidson Owumi (club CEO) and Akpokona for the way they raise funds at short notice and get the boys to give their all despite the poor conditions."
Goalkeeper Segun Oluwaniyi, skipper Okechukwu Odita, John Nnam, Uche Okereke, Apam Onyekachi, Emeka Onuoha, Tar Akombo, Andrew Nwoko, Nduka Ozokwor, Nnaemeka Anyanwu, Edward Ofere, Sam Ledor, Ugochukwu Okeke, Junior Osagie, Okey Enyiaku, Igho Otegheri, Chinedu Effugh, Emeka Emedosi, Emma Nwachi and Onome Akporotu must be satisfied with their season.
However, a new challenge must be confronted next season. This is exactly two decades since Rangers last won any domestic title. Coach Akpokona, if he stays, and his wards, must find a way to make the people of the Coal City happy once again.
Tomorrow's confrontation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium provides an interesting situation with Rangers skipper, Odita, welcoming his junior brother, Chukwudi, who is also captain of Kwara United. Akpokona and Coach Kadiri Ikhana -two of the same generation - also meet by the sidelines.
Iwuanyanwu Nationale, in pole position to grab the only Confederation Cup ticket available in the league, at the expense of Dolphin FC who have been on a points-scooping finish to the season, should punish El-Kanemi Warriors from Maiduguri at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.
The Naze Millionaires have not flown Nigeria's flag in continental competition for 11 years. Their last run was in 1994, when the team lost out in the quarter-finals of the then African Champions Cup to Esperance of Tunisia, after losing two key players in a plane crash in Algeria on their way back from the first leg encounter in Tunis.
Youthful Coach Stanley Eguma has done a wonderful job to lead Nationale to third place on the log and third place in the Coca-Cola FA Cup, after coming in to replace Alfred Ekundina some way into the campaign.
El-Kanemi have virtually nothing to fight for. In any event, they have not been doing much fighting outside their Maiduguri base all season. Coach Kelechi Emeteole is only waiting for this last match in the season to jump ship and hunt for better pasture.
Winning almost all their matches at home (at all cost), has ensured they retain Premier League status, and this could be so again next year as teams find the Maiduguri distance, weather, and partisan referees difficult to cope with.
One match that's likely to produce fireworks aplenty is the clash in Abeokuta between Shooting Stars of Ibadan and construction giants, Julius Berger.
Berger pompously defeated the Oluyole Warriors 2-1 at the Lekan Salami Stadium early in the campaign and it is one of the results the fans in Ibadan are blaming for their team missing out on continental football once more next year.
Despite a pool of some of the most rugged and fearless performers, including former Rangers duo, Oluwole Johnson and Ebenezer Ojo, ‘Up Sooting' have failed to shoot right again, and they wait for next year to see if they would return to the continent in 2007.
Flying Eagles' reserve goalie, Kola Ige, despite all the hype about him, was glaringly inconsistent and cost the team more than a few points. The other keeper, Okikiola Taoshe was even better, and if not for him, the Ibadan darlings would have been fighting for their lives in the bottom half of the log.
Next year, much more would be expected from the likes of Ojo, Johnson, injury-plagued Ladi Gasper, Kingsley Elvis, Samson Abiodun, Shakiru Lawal, Olumide Ojebode, Julius Adeyanju, Taofeek Adepoju, Ajibade Omolade, Chidi Oji, Taiwo Ajibola, Chibuike Okeke and David Abidoye.
Fatai Amoo's Berger blew hot and cold for most of the campaign and they should be happy they are in the bottom half. Amoo himself admits that they have to secure more experienced players if they are to compete favourably with the ‘big boys' next season.
This year, goalkeeper Sunday Makama, Titus Idoko, Akeem Ojo, returnee Kabiru Alausa, Jimoh Oseni, Jonathan Bitrus, Kehinde Lasisi, Sanusi Aminu, Dayo Jaiyeola, Kunle Dabiri, Ndubuisi Opara, Ikedinachi Nwakanma and skipper Babatunde Yusuf are all doing their level best.
The relegation-bound duo of Nigeria Ports Authority and Gateway FC of Abeokuta are in action at the Onikan Stadium in Lagos.
Both teams have gone through a disappointing season. Gateway came from the pro league with all pomp and pageantry, but as Chief Segun Odegbami said last week on these pages, the team did not improve on the management, players and resources that took it to the elite cadre.
'The club came straight into the Premier League to contest with the likes of Enyimba, 3SC and Rangers, using the same management, resources and players that prosecuted the pro league, and which were not at that high level.
'People also forget that Gateway FC is only two years old, and that its structure, fan base and management experience are quite young. If the team goes down, it would have learnt enough to be able to fight hard for immediate return to the Premier league and then be able to stand with the big boys thenceforth."
Insurance of Benin, who walked over Kwara United of Ilorin in their rescheduled game in Abuja last weekend, host Coca Cola FA Cup runners-up Lobi Stars at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
Lobi boys have been trying hard to forget that mis-hit penalty kick by Duke Udi that cost them the FA Cup in Port Harcourt last month. Really, the club did enough to merit a reception by Governor George Akume. As they prepare for a return to the continent next year, Lobi Stars would do well to include domestic trophies in their list of challenges for the new season.
Dolphin play away to relegation-haunted Wikki Tourists at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi, and Zamfara United, looking to go down with Gateway FC to the pro league where both came from last season, are away to Kano Pillars.
Sharks host Gombe United in Port Harcourt and Nassarawa United, the only one of the newcomers that has retained Premier League status, are at home to Niger Tornadoes in Lafia.