Pillars and Enyimba Moving Strong as Abba Gaints remain on Top of NPFL Log

Nigeria Professional Football League champions, Kano Pillars, seem to have bounced to winning ways after recording their second consecutive match since the return of coach Baba Ganaru.

Pillars came from a goal down to beat Heartland 2-1 in Kano on Wednesday in a week 21 encounter.

                                

An own goal from Babangida Hassan in the 22nd minute gifted Heartland the lead before goals from Azeez Shobowale in the 41st minute and Rabiu Ali from the spot in the 80th minute gave the champions the three points.

Table-toppers Enyimba on maintained their lead with a 2-2 draw against Akwa United in Uyo.

The Peoples Elephants had to come back twice to level in a match which was a battle of former players of the home side.

Shooting Stars came from behind to beat Wikki Tourists 2-1 from a Tope Orelope brace. Lobi Stars beat Bayelsa United 3-0, Kwara United beat Dolphins 2-1 and Rangers beat FC Taraba 1-0.

However Sunshine Stars will host Sharks FC in Akure in a tricky affair which may see the Akure Gunners jostle for top spot.

Nigeria Professional Football League GLO NPL week ten Results

The Nigeria Professional Football League week 10 Results, the last fixtures played in this month of May has the league goes off to a three weeks break. It resumes back in first week of June 2015
                
Sunshines Stars maintain their position at the top of the NPFL with a hard earned home win. Enyimba and Kano Pillars also won at home respectively.

Elsewhere the trio of Dolphin Fc, Nasarawa Utd and Giwa Fc clinch vital points away from home while Lobi Stars finally got a winning formular. Below are the week 10 results. 

See the fixtures/Results

Sunshine Stars 1 vs 0  Kwara Utd

FC Taraba 1 vs 1 Dolphins Fc

Lobi Stars 1 vs 0 Heartland Fc

Sharks FC 1 vs 1 Giwa Fc

Kano Pillars 2 vs 1 Gabros

Bayelsa Utd 1 vs 0 Wikki Fc

Akwa Utd 2 vs 1 Shooting Stars

Enyimba 3 vs 1 Elkanemi

Rangers 0 vs 0 Nasarawa Utd

W. Wolves vs. Abia Warriors (pp) 

NPFL attends inaugural World Leagues Forum

          LMC calls for Redistribution of Income derived from Nigeria

Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) was among the 24 leading Professional League organisations from across the world of football that met in London on Tuesday, April 28 for the first ever Global Leagues Forum.

This historic meeting brought together Presidents, Chairmen, Chief Executives and General Secretaries from Professional Leagues that represent over 1100 of the world’s top Clubs. 

Professional Leagues from Bolivia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, USA, as well as the European Professional Football Leagues Association, were represented. Players of clubs in these leagues provided just under 90 per cent of the players who took part in the FIFA World Cup 2014.

In the NPFL delegation including Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko and Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Nduka Irabor, made a strong case for the redistribution of incomes derived by the developed Leagues from the Nigerian territory.

The discussion between the leaders of Professional League football was wide ranging and focussed on strategies for the successful development of Professional League football in each of their countries. These focussed on relationships with players and fans in particular, and Professional League business models.

Dikko said he was very hopeful that some of the contacts made would soon begin to yield dividend particularly in the areas of human capacity development and technical overhaul of the game.

"The LMC Is absolutely delighted to be part of this inaugural meeting as a pioneer member of the forum. This clearly signifies that the LMC is making huge progress and in the right direction to be so recognized on a global scale.

"The contacts made will surely impact positively on our efforts to improve on the fortune of the NPFL", Dikko said.

According to Renata Affonso, the Planning and Projects Manager of the Conference, it is recognised that whilst all Professional Leagues are different, the issues they face are the same as each looks to develop the professional game in their country. The World Leagues Forum thus provided a platform for sharing of experiences and approaches, with established Leagues committing to assisting developing Leagues across the world.

The Leagues agree that wherever a common view on issues can be achieved, Leagues should speak with a single voice, as leading members of the global football family. A focus of the next meeting in the USA (19-20 October 2015) will be on formalising a new way of working more closely together.

Reported by npfl.ng 

Two Sunshine Stars Player ban for stripping to celebrate

Nigeria Professional Football league, Prince Aggrey and Kunle Odunlami of Sunshine Stars have been slammed with a one-match ban and a fine of N50,000 for stripping to their underpants while celebrating one of their goals against Dolphins at the just pass weekend.

Image Source: Footballlive.ng   

According to a statement released by the League Management Company, both players have 48hours to either submit to the League Management Company (LMC) decision.

The statement read, - "Two players of Sunshine Stars who stripped themselves to celebrate their winning goal against Dolphins FC on Match Day 4 in Akure have been suspended for one match each and also fined N50,000 for indecent exposure and conduct capable of bringing the league to disrepute."

An injury time winner from Prince Aggrey condemned the Port-Harcourt side to a painful 2-1 defeat on Sunday evening but moved them seven points from four matches.

Warri Wolves Calls for Support:

The Managing Director of Warri Wolves, Davidson Owumi who arrived with the team from Ethiopia on Tuesday afternoon after qualifying for the next of the CAF Confederation Cup at the expense of Dedebit FC has said that he believed in the Warri based team to go far in the competition based on what he saw in their last match.

Owumi who celebrated his birthday last weekend however revealed that for the team to achieve this, the boys must be well motivated and therefore urged the Government to provide what it takes to ginger the boys.

According to him, with the next match coming up on the 18th, April against MK Entancheite from DR Congo at the Warri City Stadium, the boys will have to move straight into a close camping because the higher you go in this competition, the tougher it becomes.

Owumi known as Okada in his hey days further said for this to be achieved, it depends on the fund available and so all hands must be on deck to see that the club achieve its aims.

"I sincerely believe these boys can go far from what I saw in Ethiopia but they must be well motivated to achieve the desired goals. We need fund now to move straight into a close camping because the next match is around the corner, It is on the 18th of this month and we are playing the first leg so we need to do well. We are the only hope of the Nation now with all other clubs eliminated and we cannot afford to let the Nation down now. You know that the higher you go in this competition, the tougher it becomes and we just have to work hard. We need a lot of things to succeed".

Owumi equally appealed to the fans to come out each time the club plays in Warri as that will go a long way in motivating the players.

"At this time, we need the fans now than before and they must come out in thousands to support the team. They should be our 12th player and with them, we can achieve what we set to do by going far in this competition. said Owumi. 

Dolphins FC Players apologized to fans and Rivers State for missing out on CAF

Report coming in says players of Dolphins FC, led by their captain, Sunday Rotimi have tendered an apology to the club management, Nigerians and the people of Rivers State.

Google Image: Sunday Rotimi

Dolphins failed to travel on time for a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation game last weekend in Tunisia as players refused to get on the bus to the airport because they wanted more than they were offered as out of station allowance, or 'estacode' as it is more popularly called in Nigeria.

The team subsequently missed its flight to Lagos, then Tunis and were walked over by the time got to the stadium.

Captain of the side, Sunday Rotimi has in turn apologised for the role of the players in the saga. "On behalf of my players, I want to apologise to the club management and also Nigerians concerning the game in Tunis. It's unfortunate that we left Nigerians and especially People of Rivers State," Rotimi said. 

Warri Wolves forward dedicates debut goals to late dad

It was a dream Glo Premier League debut for Warri Wolves forward, Sikiru Alimi Adewale, whose double and all-round display helped the Seasiders to  their first points of the season in their humiliation of Giwa FC on Wednesday.

The former Union Bank of Lagos forward was obviously not overwhelmed by the occasion of playing in Nigeria's top flight division for the first time as he made the difference in the battle between last season's third and fourth-placed teams at the Warri City Stadium.

A well articulated assist for Gbolahan Salami, an emphatic close-range strike before the break and a composed finish after the hour mark aptly summarized Adewale's impressive performance.

Adewale who joined Wolves from First Bank of Lagos at the end of last football season was as excited as the just over 1,000 fans that witnessed the rescheduled Match Day 2 game in Warri. in a post-match chat with npfl.ng Adewale also dedicated his pair of goals to his late dad.

"Honestly, he was my best motivator. He tired everything to make sure I played football as a professional but  right now he's no more. I wish he would be around to share this glory with me because I know he would be very proud of me,"said an emotional Adewale.

Adewale's adaptation to life in the top flight started with a stellar showing at the Glo Super Four Invitational where he scored three goals in as many starts. The striker was however quick to point out that the quality in the top flight quite exceeds what he was used to in National League.

"There's a huge quality in the NPFL compared to the lower leagues. (There are) tough opponents and very good players and you have to up your game to be able to cope. I think there's a big difference there," he affirmed.

At Wolves, Adewale is in a fierce competition for places with renowned scorers like Gbolahan Salami, Ogehenekaro Etebo and Onyekachi Okafor but the Nigerian navy product is unfazed by the challenge.

"Although it will be difficult because these are experienced players and of course I'm also learning from them but I'm very confident I can hold my own against them. They've been supportive and I know I have to take my chances when they come like did today," he said.

What a way for Adewale's league adventure to start and if his early season form is anything to go by, a new goal poacher and fans favourite may just have been unearthed.

Story reported and draft from (NPFL)
 

NPFL : Warri Wolves Players Begin Warning Strike

The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Warri Wolves Players have began a warning strike to press for their unpaid wages, according to supersport.com.
              
The angry players boycotted training on Tuesday evening after honouring the morning session, it was learned.
wolves have failed to pay their players  salaries for the month of January, and the players fear that could extended to February.

The players also claimed they are still owed 30 percent of their signing-on fees for last season despite an agreement by clubs with the League Management Company (LMC) to abolish such fees and put in place improved salaries.

One of the influential players of the club told supersport.com: "It is so disheartening that after working we still haven't been paid. The club needs to know that we have a life apart from being footballers. We have families and dependents. They have not paid us for the last month, and they still owe us 30 percent signing-on fees for last season."

"We, the players, are not happy with what they are doing to us. How can we continue to play on empty stomachs? And at the same time we can't provide for our families when we should.

Apart from the salary and signing-on fees, we haven't been paid match bonuses for five matches, including four matches from last season's league," another player revealed.

The players of the Warri club have now threatened to boycott the second leg, preliminary round match against RC Bobo-Dioulasso in the Caf Confederation Cup this Saturday.

"If nothing is done about the money owed us, then we will stay away from the Caf Confederation Cup on Saturday and we will continue to stay away from training afterwards," Warned one of the players.

Wolves take one-goal lead into Saturday's game following their 1-0 win in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

The club reportedly owned and financed by the Delta State government.