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Tag: league

  • NPFL: Enyimba rally back to beat hosts Gombe United

    NPFL: Enyimba rally back to beat hosts Gombe United

    Enyimba International Football Club of Aba on Saturday staged a stunning comeback to beat hosts Gombe United 2-1 at the Pantami Township Stadium in Gombe.

    Enyimba came from behind to win the Group A Match Day 7 fixture of the abridged 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    In the game’s 12th minute, Yusuf Taiye gave Gombe United an early lead, but Elijah Akanni scored in the 35th minute to draw the visitors level.

    Chukwuemeka Obioma’s 53rd minute goal earned the People’s Elephants all the three points and their second away win, having defeated Nasarawa United 2-1 in their NPFL opening game.

    Taiye, who has scored four goals so far in the season for Gombe United, missed a chance to restore his team’s lead in the 46th minute from a penalty kick.

    In a post-match conference, Head Coach of Enyimba, Finidi George, said the victory was hard-fought as the home team proved difficult to overcome.

    George said his team took their chances in the game and were happy they have the three points.

    “We are happy that we got the victory, it was a difficult game as both teams played well.

    “We took our chances and we are happy we have the three points,” he said.

    On the series of away victories being recorded this season, George said it was good for the league.

    According to him, the away wins being recorded this season showed that officiating in the league was improving.

    “So far in the league, it has been good as officiating has been good and we hope it continues this way.

    “It means the league is getting better with teams getting away wins and that is what is expected in the league.”

    He said officiating this season had been “correct majorly”, adding that such improvement would help to ascertain genuine winners of the league who would make the country proud in continental competitions.

    On his part, the Technical Adviser of Gombe United, Aliyu Zubairu, declined a request from journalists to interview him.

    NAN

  • Llorente gives Leeds first league win against Watford

    Llorente gives Leeds first league win against Watford

    Leeds picked up their first victory in the Premier League this season as defender Diego Llorente returned from injury to score the winner over Watford.

    Llorente, who picked up a hamstring injury in the defeat by Liverpool, instinctively poked it in from close range after a corner delivery bounced off Watford’s Juraj Kucka at the back post.

    It capped off a dominant first-half display from Leeds but failure to take their chances made for a nervy ending.

    Watford, who were sloppy in possession and passive for large parts of the game, had a goal ruled out in the second half for a foul in the build-up after goalkeeper Illan Meslier’s fumble almost proved costly.

    But despite the narrow scoreline, Leeds were comfortably the better side, leaving Elland Road with three points for the first time this season.

  • Serie A to kickstart Sept. 19

    Serie A to kickstart Sept. 19

    The 2020/2021 season of Italy’s top flight football league will start on Sept. 19, the Italian football federation has said.

    A news agency in Italy reported on Monday that all arrangements had been concluded for the Serie A resumption.

    The last Serie A season ended on Aug. 2.

    This was after it was interrupted for three months between March and June because of the coronavirus pandemic.

  • La Liga announces date to restart

    La Liga could resume as early as 28 May in the best-case scenario as the league discusses its options, says its president Javier Tebas.

    No Spanish side has played a competitive game since 11 March, when Atletico Madrid knocked holders Liverpool out of the Champions League.

    Tebas says training will not return until emergency measures – in place until 26 April – are lifted in Spain.

    He estimates clubs could lose 1bn euros if the current campaign is cancelled.

    Tebas revealed three start dates are currently being discussed with Uefa, saying: “Of all the different scenarios we have been looking at with Uefa to go back to competing, the most probable ones are 28 May, 6 June or 28 June,” he said.

    “We can’t say an exact date. This will be given to us by the authorities in Spain. But we still have time to get back to training before that.”

    Tebas says La Liga is not contemplating a failure to complete the domestic campaign, which still has 11 rounds of matches to play.

    However, having done the maths, Tebas is conscious that even if games are played with supporters in stadiums, a scenario he does not feel is likely in the short term, the losses will be extreme.

    He said: “If we are looking at the economic impact, including the money we would get from European competitions, the revenue Spanish clubs would miss out on if we don’t get back playing again is 1bn euros. If we do get playing but without spectators, it would be 300m.

    “Even if we get back to playing with spectators, the damage this situation has already caused would be 150m euros.”

  • Stanbic IBTC unveiled as major sponsor as varsity league kicks off

    Stanbic IBTC unveiled as major sponsor as varsity league kicks off

    Stanbic IBTC Group has announced its sponsorship of the Higher Institutions Football League (HIFL), which kicked off on Wednesday (1 August 2018).

    Stanbic IBTC said the sponsorship is in tandem with the company’s determination to help grow and develop a vibrant and productive youth population.

    According to Stanbic IBTC, their involvement is equally informed by the need to foster unity among the youth, the future leaders, and development of sports as well as the economy using the HIFL platform.

    “We are enthusiastic about our sponsorship of the university league. The sponsorship is in line with our objective to engage the youth in talent-moulding and character-building initiatives and our determination to contribute to the development of sports and by extension the economy,” Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Mr. Yinka Sanni, said.

    Organised by Green White Green (GWG) Sports, the maiden edition of the league will feature the top 16 universities from across the country. The teams will play a total of 30 games over a 14-week period to determine the winner. The draws for the league groupings were held recently. Explaining the rationale for HIFL at the draws ceremony in Lagos, CEO of the Green White Green, Alhaji Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, said the HIFL is conceived as a platform for students “to exhibit their talents to the world.”

    The participating universities are Obafemi Awolowo University, Delta State University, University of Benin, University of Lagos, University of Port-Harcourt, University of Agriculture Makurdi, University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Bayero University, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, University of Uyo, University of Maiduguri, Usman Dan Fodio University, Ahmadu Bello University, and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University.

    The organisers of the league commended Stanbic IBTC for its boldness in sponsoring the HIFL. According to them, the sponsorship will be invaluable to the success of the varsity league, even as they promised to stage the best football spectacle that will “convince our sponsors and indeed Nigerians that collegiate sport is ripe in Nigeria.”

    This sponsorship is the latest in a long list of youth-centric development and empowerment initiatives by Stanbic IBTC. Earlier in the year, the company organised a Youth Leadership Series, targeted at igniting and encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit among the youth. It also recently launched an Innovation Hub to serve as incubator for young thinkers to actualise their ideas.

    Stanbic IBTC assured that it will continue to seek opportunities to support initiatives targeted at developing the youth.

     

  • NRA committed to better officiating in Nigerian league competitions, Azeez says

    Tade Azeez, the President of Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), has assured that the association was committed to ensuring a better officiating of league competitions in the country.

    Azeez told the NewsGuru in Abuja that the NRA under his administration would do this through a guaranteed qualitative health level of referees.

    He said this meant that the Association would continue to work in tandem with others to ensure global best practices were put in place.

    “The health of a referee is paramount to the life of any football match under his watch.

    “This is why we have made the fitness test of referees an annual event, because it is key to football management.

    “And that is why we are testing about 120 referees in preparation for the next football season.

    “It is very important to us because FIFA has already made this clear to everyone,” Azeez said.

    TNG reports that the NRA on Sunday commenced a fitness and medical test for referees and match assessors, with several top-grade referees taking part in the exercise.

    The exercise holding at the Abuja National Stadium is slated to end later in the week.