The status quo was maintained by the two teams struggling to break away at the top bracket of the Nigeria Premier Football League as top-placed Remo Stars and the second-positioned Rivers United laboured to a goalless draw in Ikenne.

It was a respite for Coach Finidi George as a loss would have meant a losing streak of three matches. The result was the only match-day 12 that did not produce any goal in all 24 of the week’s 24 goals.

With the draw, there is no change at the top as both retained their positions while results from other matches did not affect the two teams.

Momentarily, Rivers United slumped to the third position as they were upstaged by Enyimba who took a lone goal lead over Abia Warriors in an Abia State derby.

The ninth-minute goal by Clinton  Jephta pushed Enyiba to the second position at 22 points and a six-goal difference, but the complexion suddenly changed when Abia Warriors’ Adejoh Ojonugwa restored parity in the 22nd minute. The two points gained by Enyimba were thus cancelled.

Shooting Stars of Ibadan are still stuttering and have yet to find a rhythm. They took an early lead against Ikorodu City as Anthony Okachi found the net in the 16th minute of their away duel.

Always goal-shy since the beginning of the season, they could not consolidate on the lead. Rather, the rejuvenated Ikorodu City equalised through Shola Adelani in the 58th minute.

Two minutes to regulation time, Rivio Ayemwenre scored the winning goal for Ikorodu City and with the 2-1 win they climbed to the eighth position on the log. In the early days of the league, they were bottom-placed, swimming in the murky waters of relegation.

In Enugu, defending champion, Enugu Rangers compounded the woes of Bendel Insurance with a 3-2 win at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium.

Godwin Obaje opened the scoring for the hosts in the 21^st minute and Frank Uwumiro doubled the lead in the 39^th minute while Effimi Nsi made it three in the 54^th minute.

Bendel Insurance, attempting what their ladies counterparts, Edo Queens did on Saturday against  Mamelodi Sundowns in their last group match of the CAF Women’s League, came back strongly in the final quarter of the match with two goals in the 67^th and 85^th minute. But it was still a bridge too far for them.

In Kano,Kano  Pillars came back twice against the visiting Heartland of Owerri at the Sani Abacha stadium.

After a goalless first half, Suraju Lawal in the 51^st opened score the visitors but veteran star player, Rabiu Ali in the 57^th minute but Lawal restored the lead two minutes later.

Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa scored the equaliser in the 75^th minute to deny Coach Emmanuel Amuneke another away win this season.

Bayelsa United and Katsina United match ended 1-1 while El Kanemi Warriors and Niger Tornadoes saw the host secure a lone goal win.

All Week 12 Results

Saturday

Akwa United  1-0 Nasarawa United

Sunday

Remo Stars 0-0 Rivers United

Abia Warriors 1-1 Enyimba

Enugu Rangers 3-2 Bendel Insurance

Ikorodu City 2-1 Shooting Stars

Kwara United  2-0 Plateau United

Kano Pillars 2-2 Heartland

Sunshine Stars 1-0 Lobi Stars

Bayelsa United 1-1 Katsina United

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Across a spectrum of football and business sectors, stakeholders have come together to celebrate Vincent Okumagba’s birthday, this Saturday, the president of the Super Eagles Supporters’ Club.

Co-incidentally, he shares a common birthday anniversary with the late elder statesman, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, the third and first black governor-general of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963 and the first president of Nigeria during the First Nigerian Republic.  Were Azikiwe alive, he would have been 120 years this day.

Okumagba shares birthday anniversary with Dr, Nnamidi Azikwe who would have been 120 years old today.

Apart from being a former vice president of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), he is the MD/CEO of Pixal Petroleum.

He is being celebrated by associates who sent goodwill messages to him. Among them is Gernot Rohr, the former Nigeria Super Eagles manager who is now with rival Republic of Benin.

The president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau also sent messages. Others who sent messages are Dele Tajudeen, the Chairman of the western zone of IPMAN, and George Aluo, chairman of the NNL among others.

Former Golden Eaglets skipper, Musa Muhammed , has for the umpteenth time pleaded to with the Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu to redeem the house pledge made to the players and officials of the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning team by his processor.

Today, Friday, November 8, 2024 marks the 11th anniversary when the Coach Manu Garba-led side extended the country’s grip on the cadet trophy with her fourth title following 3-0 obliteration of Mexico in the final in Abu Dhabi.

The then Cross River State Governor Senator Liyel Imoke on behalf of the people and the state, promised the Golden Eaglets team including 21 players and 10 officials, houses when he hosted the squad for doing the country proud in the United Arab Emirates at the Government House in Calabar 11 years ago

“They should help us plead with the Governor of Cross River State, Prince Bassey Edet Otu to help us fulfil the promise made by the previous administration since 2013. We hope and pray that the current Governor can help us and fulfil the promise made by the administration of former Governor, Liyel Imoke,” Muhammed said.

“We are hopeful the present Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu is going to help do that. The state government promised all the players and officials houses in Calabar but up till now, we have not heard anything from them.

“We have tried everything possible to reach out to the state government for them to know our plights.”

Muhammed noted that the house gift pledge made by the then Governor, Imoke was not misplaced because the Golden Eaglets spent about one and a half years altogether in Calabar preparing for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup which they won in the United Arab Emirates.

The defender opined that they would be more than delighted if the promised house gifts become a reality to the members of that Golden Eaglets team and the officials that toiled to ensure Nigeria won the cadet World Cup in 2013 despite all the odds.

“We are children of Cross River too because we had all our preparations and camping for the FIFA Under 17 World Cup there. If I am asked where I can leave besides Kano I will choose Cross River because it is very peaceful and filled with lovely people.

“I really enjoyed staying there because we stayed for almost a year and a half there camping. We have about three of our players from there. It was very exciting to us to win the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and we would be happier if this promise is fulfilled,” he said.