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Tag: Nigeria Professional Football League

  • NPFL: Bendel Insurance extend unbeaten run, beat Remo 3-0

    NPFL: Bendel Insurance extend unbeaten run, beat Remo 3-0

    Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin yesterday showed prowess and class after defeating Remo Stars of Ikenne by 3-0 and handing the Ogun-based football club their first defeat of the season in one of the week four games of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin on Saturday, January 28,2023.
    Imade Osarenkhoe,Sarki Ismael and Austin Ogunye grabbed beautiful goal each for the Benin Arsenal to demystify
    the visiting Remo Stars and opened up a three-point lead at the top of Group A of the abridged League.
    The home side opened their goal account early in the heavily hyped game when the Benin Arsenals’ goal poacher Imade Osehenkhoe scored in the sixth minute. It was made easy for him after Sarki’s attemp had slowed down the speed of
    Osas Okoro’s well-taken corner kick which landed well inside the box as the lanky striker smartly tapped the ball into the net with first touch.
    Sarki Ismael doubled the lead for the Benin Arsenals in the 26th minute, after pouncing on a loose ball from Remo’s goalie, Kayode Bankole’s groaping hands and promptly shot it into the net to send the home fans into wild jubilation.
    Andy Okpe had a couple of decent chances to level up for the away side but couldn’t complete the task before Sarki struck to further deflate the southwestern team.
    In the second half, Remo Stars came out offensive, but were unable to create any big chance as the Insurance tight defense manned by Tanimu Benjamin and Sunday Anyanwu was too hard for the Ikenne boys to break .
    The league leaders wrapped up the victory when substitute Austin Ogunye added the third goal of the day in the 78th minute following Divine Nwachukwu’s fine assist.
    The Sky Blue Stars tried to pull one back, 10 minutes before the end of regulation time but Okpe was unlucky again as his shot went straight into the waiting Amas Obasogie magnetic gloves.
    With the scoreline, Bendel Insurance maintain their lead in group A with 12 points after four games,three points clear of Remo Stars whose unbeaten run and clean sheet have been destroyed in Benin.
    Insurance remain unbeaten after playing four matches,winning all in style.
    The Benin Arsenals will be travelling to Maiduguri on Wednesday with confidence to face El-kanelmi Warriors in week five engagement.
    Speaking during the post match interview, coach Monday Odigie of Bendel Insurance was grateful to God for the very good result against Remo Stars,adding that he was happy his boys converted their chances and won. He maintained that mistakes cost good teams most times.
    Coach Daniel Ogunmodede of Remo Stars on the other hand congratulated Bendel Insurance, noting that some mistakes made by his boys cost them.
    ” We conceded cheat three goals. My team didn’t do badly but we made some costly mistakes and Insurance took advantage of them. It wasn’t our day. ” He said.
  • CAF Cup: Wydad Casablanca harass Rivers United, stop them from training

    CAF Cup: Wydad Casablanca harass Rivers United, stop them from training

    Reports from the camp of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Rivers United says they have been prevented from leaving their hotel by Moroccan police officers ahead of their crucial return leg in the first round of the CAF Champions League.
    The Pride of Rivers who landed in Morocco in the late hours of Thursday had secured a facility for training this afternoon in preparation for the game. However, in the process of leaving for the training session, police officers restricted the players and officials of the team from leaving the hotel citing not getting clearance from the government, despite the facility being paid for.
    Rivers United are duly scheduled to train at the Mohammed V Stadium on Saturday as mandated by CAF, but, on a good account, the team has learned that they will be prevented from using the said facility tomorrow as well.
    The team has so far informed the Nigerian embassy in Morocco of this shocking development through the Nigeria Football Federation who has also informed the Confederation of African Football (CAF) while we wait for their response.

    Rivers United defeated the Moroccan side 2-1 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt last week Sunday and are hoping to consolidate on the result in faraway Morocco.A 35-man contingent consisting of players and officials of the club arrived at the Mohamed V International Airport late Thursday night after a brief stopover in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

    Sunday’s encounter will hold at the 67,000-capacity Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca at 7 pm Nigeria time.

    Recall that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has promised to give $40,000 to each player if they make it to the group stage of the competition.

    The Nigerian side are hoping to qualify for the group stage of the CAF Champions League after many years of missing out by club sides in the country.

    Fidelis Ilechukwu tutored Plateau United are the other Nigerian representative in the competition and will also be hoping to consolidate on the 2-1 result advantage recorded at the MKO Abiola stadium in Abuja last week Sunday.

     

  • NPFL: Wike gifts Rivers United Players $20,000 each for winning the league

    NPFL: Wike gifts Rivers United Players $20,000 each for winning the league

    The sport-loving governor of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has gifted each player of Rivers United $20,000 for winning the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL)

    The players have also been promised a two-week vacation for pre-season training in Madrid Spain, ahead of their CAF Champions League engagement.

    Players, coaches, and management of the club were also conferred with the state’s ‘Governor Medal Service Award.’

    Wike made the promise during a reception at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday when receiving the players and their management. He acknowledged the team’s sacrifice, determination, and hard work throughout the 2021/22 season.

    “Each of you will go home with $20,000. For me, you deserve more than that, but because of the economy. If not, you deserve more than this.

    “You have done well, and let me tell you if you qualify in the group stage of this CAF (Confederation of African Football) competition, we will double it for you,” the statement quoted the Governor as saying.

    Meanwhile, Wike has directed the state’s Commissioner of Sports, Chris Green, to arrange for a two-week training session for Rivers United in Madrid.

    The Governor explained that the government and people of Rivers were delighted that the club won the coveted NPFL trophy.

    Wike thanked the players for winning the league with as many as 10 points, saying they made it very difficult for anyone to rob them of their success.

    “I am not surprised because I saw your dedication and commitment and I knew that he who works hard, God will always give him the support to emerge victorious,” Wike added.

    The Governor also urged the players to start preparing for the CAF Champions League next season.

    “You need to be prepared psychologically to face other competitors. We are talking about Africa, not West Africa. So, you have such a huge task.

    “You must be prepared to achieve. And so, on our own as government, we must do everything humanly possible to encourage you,” he stated

    The Rivers State Commissioner of Sports, Chris Green, explained that Rivers United did not only win the league season in style, but they also broke all the records.

    Green, who attributed the team’s victory to the governor’s immense support, said the club had the first and third highest goal scorers, best coach, and goalkeeper in the league.

  • LMC lands heavy punishment on MFM FC over breach of rules

    LMC lands heavy punishment on MFM FC over breach of rules

    The League Management Company LMC have landed heavy punishments on Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM) for breaching the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Framework & Rules in their Matchday 26 fixture vs Rangers last Sunday.

    Some of MFM supporters & officials encroached onto the field of play & attacked the centre referee.
    LMC has accused the clubside of failing to provide & ensure effective security during the game which resulted in breakdown of law & order at the match venue.
    Furthermore, it stated that the Lagos based football club also breached the rules as their supporters, players & officials behaved in a way capable of bringing the league into disrepute.
    The coach of the club has been accused of bringing the game to disrepite by breaching the fair play rules by going to the hotel of match officials to harass, threaten & intimidate them.
    Lagos based football club has been fined 1 million naira for failure to provide general security & also fined another N1 million for encroaching onto the field of play.
    Another 1 million naira was slammed on the club for unsporting behaviour of their players, officials & fans.
    Two players of the club Jerry Isaac & Christian Molokwu have been suspended for the next 12 matches for their involvement in the infraction in the game.
    Meanwhile team manager Geoffrey Aghogi is banned indefinitely from all NPFL-organized activities including matches until further notice.

    MFM have been ordered to identify the persons involved in the assault of match officials & further show evidence of arrest by the police & prosecution/arraignment in a competent court of law.
    LMC said assaulted centre referee will get a compensation of N250,000 & any other additional verifiable medical costs.
    MFM FC who is placed 20th on the log and battling relegation have been banished to play their next three home matches at the Dina Dipo Stadium in Ijebu-Ode & will only return to their home ground upon LMC receiving a satisfactory report on the prosecution of the persons involved in the alleged assault by the police.
    A suspended two-point deduction has been imposed on MFM which will be for a probationary period for the remainder of the season.
    According to LMC disciplinary committee , MFM only have 7 working days to pay all fines & also have 48 hours from the date of the notice to appeal the sanctions.
  • NPFL matches suspended as Nigeria records eight COVID-19 cases

    NPFL matches suspended as Nigeria records eight COVID-19 cases

    Organisers of the Nigeria Professional Football League, LMC, have suspended the competition until further notice due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, also known as cronavirus.

    The LMC said Wednesday that the move was in line with global preventive measures against the pandemic which has spread to more than 160 countries.

    “Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has been suspended till further notice in line with global health preventive protocol against the Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19),” a statement from the LMC read.

    “In suspending remaining league matches, the League Management Company (LMC) said it would review the decision after consulting the nation’s health authorities, namely, the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).”

    The country’s health minister, Osagie Enahire, announced earlier in the day that three of the five new cases, including a mother and child, came from the United States, while the two others, also from the US, came into the country via land border.

    By virtue of the new cases, the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria, as of Wednesday, March 18, is eight.

    Also, the Nigerian government issued a travel ban on the United States, United Kingdom, China and 10 other countries over the spread of the coronavirus.

    The country’s Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, announced the ban at a media briefing on Wednesday.

    He said that the ban would take effect on Friday, March 20, and it would last for four weeks and subject to review.

    Other countries affected are Japan, Iran, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, France, South Korea, Germany, Italy and Spain.

    The Nigerian government also announced the temporary suspension of all visas issued to citizens from these countries.

    Global deaths and infections from virus have surpassed those inside China, where the outbreak was first recorded, for the first time since late last year.

    More than 175,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported, with major outbreaks in mainland China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea.

    Over 6,700 people have died from the disease and more than 77,000 have recovered.