Nigerian Football
Stage set for inaugural ARIAN Cup final
AXA Mansard will on Saturday face Mutual Benefits Assurance PLC in the final match of the maiden edition of the ARIAN Cup, a football competition put together for insurance firms by the Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria (ARIAN.
The programme for the event was unfolded by the organising committee at the ARIAN House on Tuesday. The competition holding at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre sports centre in Oshodi had seen seven out of the 35 firms participating.
The seven teams were drawn into two pools in which one had three teams and the other comprising. The competition opened on May 14 with three matches.
AXA Mansard beat Universal Insurance 2-0, while Zenith Insurance fell 1-2 to Tangerine Life. In the third match, Prudential Zenith Life Insurance fell 1-0 to AIICO Insurance.
In the next set of matches, Prudential Zenith Life Insurance lost their second match, 3-1 to Mutual benefits Assurance while AXA Mansard and Tangerine Life battled to a 2-2 draw. Zenith Insurance recovered from their earlier loss by beating Universal Insurance 2-0.
Next was the barren draw outing of AIICO Insurance and Mutual Benefits Assurance before the semi-finals encounters of AXA Mansard versus AIICO Insurance and that of Mutual Benefits Assurance facing Tangerine Life.
The first semi final match finished 1-1 after extra time and had to be decided by penalty shoot-out which AXA won by 4-3. The other semi-final match was equally crunchy. But Mutual Benefits beat Tangerine Life 1-0.
AIICO Insurance will therefore face Tangerine Life in the third place match ahead of the final encounter of AXA Mansard and Mutual Benefits Assurance.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, who was in Arnhem, Netherlands.
Former Nigeria manager, Clemens Westerhof has recommended one of his former players, Samson Siasia as the substantial coach for the Super Eagles.
Siasia was one of his players of the famed golden generation of the Super Eagles.
“I called him last month to greet him for his birthday and also to celebrate with him for the end of his five-year ban”, Westerhof told Sports Village Square at his house in Arnhem in the Netherlands.
According to him, Siasia is just like Keshi and that he has the capacity to turn the Super Eagles around for the better. Westerhof, the author of the famed ‘Golden Generation’ of the Super Eagles made his suggestion shortly after Germany’s Bruce Labbadia turned down the Nigerian job offer.
Westerhof remarked that he was surprised about the choice of Labbadia in the first instance and that the now Mali coach, Tom Saintfiet who is his friend could have been a better choice.
Saintfiet, a Belgian, was speculated among the coaches initially short-listed for the Super Eagles’ job. But Westerhof, before the naming of Austin Eguavoen, another member of his famous 1994 squad, strongly back Siasia for the job.
He remarked that he was in touch with the former striker as well as Austin Okocha whom he met with in London recently.
To Westerhof, Siasia has the same quality like Stephen Keshi to handle the Super Eagles. “He has done it before and I think he can still do it.”
The balls hit the nets 17 times this Sunday as the Nigeria Premier League Season 2024/25 burst into life this Sunday.
The first of the goals was from Plateau United’s Olawale Doyeni who converted a 24th minute penalty kick against Katsina United in an eventual 1-0 home win.
Another star-man of the the day is Enyimba’s Clinton Jephta who has become the season’s first hat-trickster. His three goals in the 65th , 70th and 73rd minutes sank heartland 3-1 in their home match.
The Nigerian Premier Football League burst into life this Sunday with eight matches on the card and contrasting results. Three of the eight matches resulted in away wins signalling level playing field of the league.
It is a sharp departure from the past seasons when it is almost predictable that home teams would win. Remo Stars, Enyimba and Niger Tornadoes have away wins and with scoring multiple goals.
Remo Stars won against Abia Warriors by 2-0. Enyimba came from a goal down to win 3-1 against Heartland while Niger Tornadoes beat Kwara United 2-1 away from home.
- Kwara United 1-2 Niger Tornadoes
- Sunshine 3-0 Bayelsa: Saidu Salisu
- Bendel Insurance 0-0 Rivers United
- Heartland 1-3 Enyimba
- Abia Warriors 0-2 Remo Stars
- Plateau United 1-0 Katsina United
- Kano Pillars 3-0 Ikorodu City
- Nasarawa United 1-1 Shooting Stars
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