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Big Teams Stumble as AITEO Cup Gathers Momentum
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Four more Premiership sides have crashed out of the AITEO Cup which has now entered Round of 16, although there are still three Round of 32 outstanding games.
The elimination of Nasarawa United, Lobi Stars, Rangers International and Abia Warriors has added to the number of casualties among the big teams.
At the round of 64 when 10 of the 18 top division sides were paired, five were already doomed for elimination. They were MFM, Enyimba, Wikki Tourists, Rivers United and Katsina United. To complete the decimation of the top division clubs, Yobe eliminated Kano Pillars.
In the Round of 32, Sunshine Stars eliminated fellow NPFL side 4-2 on Wednesday. Lowly rated Ngwa FC beat NPFL side, Lobi Stars 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw.
Rangers were similarly eliminated via penalty shootout when they lost 6-5 to Unicem Rovers after a 1-1 draw at regulation time.
Abia Warriors suffered similar fate, losing 4-2 to Ekiti United after a 1-1 draw. There are three still three outstanding matches to be played in the Round of 32. One of them, FC Abuja versus Samba Kurna will be played in Abuja this Thursday. It was moved by a day as another Abuja based club, FRSC also had a home game.
The other two matches involved the teams from Akwa Ibom State whose matches were moved as they are expected to play on the home ground where the World Cup duel of Nigeria and Cameroon has naturally taken precedence.
It will now be a double header for the home crowd as Akwa Starlets take on Doma United at 2pm in Uyo on Wednesday while Akwa United play Yobe Stars two hours later on the same ground.
Meanwhile, Shooting Stars beat home side, Delta Warriors 2-0 to advance to the Round of 16. The club last won the national cup 22 years ago.
In other results involving a top division side, awaiting league champions, Plateau United beat Ede United 1-0 while Niger Tornadoes had the same score line in the duel with FC Atete.
In a highly domestic affair, FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders fed their parent club, FC IfeanyiUbah with two goals. ABS eliminated Adamawa United by 6-3 while top division returnee, Heartland depended on the lottery of penalty shootout to oust FRSC FC of Abuja.
Teams In Round of 16: Sunshine Stars, Osun United, Niger Tornadoes, Ngwa FC, Unicem Rovers, Ekiti United, Heartland FC, FC IfeanyiUbah, El-Kanemi Babes, Plateau United, ABS FC, Katsina United Feeders, Shooting Stars.
All the Results
• Delta Warriors 0-2 Shooting Stars
• Sunshine Stars 4-2 Nasarawa United
• Osun United 0-0 Kwara United (4-3 penalties)
• Niger Tornadoes 1-0 FC Atete
• Ngwa FC 0-0 Lobi Stars (4-3 penalties)
• Unicem Rovers 1-1 Rangers International (6-5 penalties)
• Ekiti United 1-1 Abia Warriors (4-2 penalties)
• FRSC FC 1-1 Heartland FC (4-5 penalties)
• FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders 0-2 FC IfeanyiUbah
• El-Kanemi Babes 1-1 Almar FC (4-2 penalties)
• Plateau United 1-0 Ede United
• ABS FC 6-3 Adamawa United Feeders
• Katsina United Feeders 1-1 Bayelsa United (4-3 penalties)
Outstanding Fixtures
• FC Abuja Vs Samba Kurna in Abuja, Thursday 31 August)
• Akwa Starlets Vs Doma United (Uyo, Wednesday 6 September 2pm)
• Akwa United Vs Yobe Desert Stars (Uyo, 6 September 4pm)
WOMEN
• Adamawa Queens 0-1 Edo Queens
• FC Robo Queens 1-0 Delta Queens
• Confluence Queens 3-0 (W/O) Invincible Queens
• Beautiful Tours 3-1 Moje Queens
• Rivers Angels 5-0 Delta Babes
• Bayelsa Queens Feeders 4-0 Fortress Ladies
• Pelican Stars 1-0 Young Talents 99
Teams In Round of 16: Ben Women FC, Ibom Angels, Jokodolu Babes, Sure Babes, Sunshine Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, Osun Babes, Abia Angels and Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, FC Robo Queens, Confluence Queens, Beautiful Tours, Rivers Angels, Bayelsa United Feeders, Pelican Stars.
An unspecified number of Nigerian journalists travelling to Uyo for Friday’s Nigeria versus Libya’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match have been rescued.
This is contained in a press release by the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN) on Thursday. The association commended the Nigerian security forces for their efforts in the rescue operation.
From the press release, it was gathered that the media men were abducted within the Anambra and Imo states axis.
”SWAN therefore commends the security operatives, particularly the Nigerian Army and Police for their prompt action which ensured that up to six of the held Sports Journalists regained their freedom with efforts to get the remaining person freed”, reads the SWAN statement.
German coach Juergen Klopp has been appointed head of global soccer for Red Bull, owners of several clubs including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls, the company said on Wednesday, in his first job since leaving Liverpool earlier this year.
Klopp, who ended his successful nine-year stint with Liverpool at the end of last season, will be starting on January 1, 2025.
“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” Klopp, who also coached Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, said in a statement.
“The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.”
The 57-year-old joined Liverpool in October 2015 and won the Champions League, their first English League title since 1990, the Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Super Cup, as well as the Community Shield during his time in charge.
Klopp, who also led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles, a German Cup and a Champions League final in 2013, had announced in January he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
Klopp will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the Red Bull-owned clubs in Germany, United States, Brazil and Austria, the company said.
“He will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy,” Red Bull said.
Klopp will also support the organisation’s global scouting operation, and contribute to the training and development of coaches.
“I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs but ultimately I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more,” Klopp said.
Some German media reported his Red Bull contract included an exit clause for the post of Germany national team coach.
Klopp has long been linked to that job, especially after his successful stint at Liverpool and with Germany struggling to make an impact on the international stage in the past decade.
-Reuters
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Delgado Santos Rocha Lenine, from Cape Verde, as referee for Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, close to Benghazi.
He will be assisted by compatriots Djêry Gomes Lopes (assistant referee 1) and Jorge Santos Fonseca Aritson (assistant referee 2), with Hamidou Diero from Burkina Faso as fourth official.
Amir Abdi Hassan from Somalia will be in the role of commissioner, with Malian Dramane Dante as referee assessor and Rachid Medjiba from Algeria as security officer.
Tuesday’s encounter, which is at the back-end of a double header between both nations, will kick off at 9pm Libya time (8pm Nigeria time).
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