NPFL: Every team is a title contender - Bosso

Akanni Seyi

The wait for the new season is over and the long anticipated moment is here. Kano Pillars and FC Ifeanyi Ubah locked horns in the opening fixture of 2016/2017 league season, Plateau United eventually won the league.



Katsina will come alive today, not for anything but for the commencement of 2017-18 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) season in which Katsina Utd will engage their nothern rival, Kano Pillars.



FC IfeanyiUbah will on Sunday host new comers Yobe Desert Stars in one of the Week 1 matches of the new season at the fortress of the FC IfeanyiUbah International Stadium Nnewi, the Anambra Warriors will be looking to maintain their sizzling form which have seen them yet to lose a game at home for three years and counting which buttresses the fact that the FCIU Stadium is a fortress.


Coach Ladan Bosso insists that his side will do necessary things on the pitch to secure the maximum three points on Sunday.


"Our journey for the season starts this Sunday and we have to begin on a strong note in order to give us that drive, confidence and competitive state we want to instill into the team.


"We had a good preseason which gave us the opportunity to work on various aspects of our game. It also gave us a clue on our strength and weak areas. Those weak points we've tried to work on and we believe we are ready to go. We see every team participating in this season's competition as potential contenders so we have to take all our games very serious.


"Come Sunday against Yobe Desert Stars we will play our brand of football and the target is all the 3 points at stake, Am very much aware of the expectations of our fans and supporters, we will do everything humanly possible within our limit to win their confidence," Ladan Bosso told fcifeanyiubah.com.

Clubs must register 15 U19 players, NLO insists

Ahead of the 2017/18 season in the Nationwide League One (NLO), Shola Ogunnowo, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the NLO has said that the board has directed that all the clubs in Nationwide league must register a minimum of 15 players that are within the age of  19 category.



According to Ogunnowo, the league body is determined to ensure that the Nationwide league will continue to be the cradle where players are nurtuted and developed into greatness and having a minimum of 15 Under 19 players in every club in the league will help to develop these players, as he noted that the league is a platform to showcase young football talents in Nigeria.



“In the last season we limited the number to 10 Under 19 players , but this season, the board directed that minimum of 15 Under 19 players should be registered by the clubs before the commencement of the league. The league secretariat will ensure that the clubs present the birth certificates of these players, primary school leave certificates and any other genuine documents that will show the record that they have minimum of 15 Under 19 players that will be registered by the club in the new season,” Ogunnowo said.



“The secretariat will ascertain if the clubs are complying with the directives from the board and to know the actual age of these players . Although, it may be a bit difficult to ascertain the age of these players, but adminstratively, we should be able to control the level of lies that might be presented by these clubs.

“We are determined to control and correct the erroneous notion or belief that most people all over the world that Nigerian players are not sincere with the age they claim to be and our focus is to eradicate this at the grassroot league of Nigeria." he concluded .



The registration for the new season has already began, while the hostilities in the league for clubs in division one and two will commence on 29 March, 2018.

Naira rains for Plateau Utd for continental, NPFL goals

The Management of the defending Champion Plateau United Football Club of Jos has pledged cash boost for the CAF champions leagues, NPFL and Aieto Cup respectively as 2017/18 NPFL season is about to kick start. 

The top official hosted Plateau United to dinner on Wednesday in Abuja as another way of appreciating the team as well as to psyche the team to work hard in order to repeat the successes recorded in the previous year.

Speaking at the dinner, the team’s technical director Ahmed Ibrahim, said the team will participate in three competitions which are NPFL, CAF champions league and Aieto cup which is known as Federation Cup.

While announcing the cash boost, Ibrahim said: “as for CAF Champions league, each goals scored at group stage attract the sum of 500,000 and if team progress to quarter final by the grace of God, each goal will attract cash of #1 million naira while man of the match for the CAF Champions League will be 100,000.

“For NPFL, Man of the match for every match will smile home with #30,000 which was penciled at #20,000 last season while match bonus will have 50 percent increase from normal last season match bonus.

Speaking Also, was the Captain of the team, Elisah Golbe, who expressed happiness and promised the team’s readiness and determination to repeat the 2017 feat: “on behalf of the players, we will try our best, we will take every match as it comes come Sunday, we are not going to let management down”.

Meanwhile, defending champions Plateau United will open the 2018 premier league camping away to Nassarawa united at Lafia on Sunday.

OSUN BABES GAFFER LOOKING FORWARD TO GLORIOUS NWPL SEASON

 Osun Babes FC Chief Coach Liadi Bashiru is already preparing for the new Nigerian Women Premier League season, and believes any summer signing will be joining a "solid group" of players at the club.



The soft spoken tactician managed to finish in 5th place last season after starting strongly. Some of the impressive results his team managed to pick up includes a 1-0 win over league champion Nasarawa Amazons, a 2-0 win over Confluence Queens, a 3-2 win over Delta Queens and a double 3-0 and 2-0 home and away victories over Saadatu Amazons.



When asked on what he feels about the upcoming NWPL season and the kind of players he would be signing for the "Omoluabi Queens" Bashiru said;




" We do not aim at signing too many players in the upcoming season, because we feel we have a strong squad already and many of our players have pledged their loyalty to the club ahead of the new campaign.




“ These are the ladies I have worked with closely in the past and they know how I work and I can trust them. I’m delighted that we will still have them here next season.




 " The technical crew have invited some new players down to pre-season and i’m sure a fair few of them will be involved next year”. Bashir told the club's media team.



" The new players, when they arrive, will find a group more ready to go for big things. But the reality is we are fighting to win titles and fighting to end well too.




" As a team, we believe that enthusiasm and dedication are key attributes that brings success to a club and we are poised to continue instilling those qualities in the squad.



As the team wraps up preparation for the upcoming campaign, he pinpointed the need for a small, committed squad; a decision that he says will lead to a stronger team spirit and consistency.



 “ I’m a big believer that if you’re honest with the players, that is half the battle won and if you are winning games even better, you have to carry your players along. I love to be so open to my players and treat them like sisters, that's one of the reasons we have been improving year by year". He disclosed to the Club Media.

CHAN 2018: AFELOKHAI HAILS ENYIMBA STANDING, EXPRESSES FAITH IN DEPTH

Enyimba's Theophilus Afelokhai believes the club is well equipped to absorb the loss of five players to Super Eagles for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The veteran goalkeeper is one of a league-high five players from the seven-time Nigerian champions who were named in the final squad of 23 for the CHAN in Morocco. Austin Oladapo, Ikouwem Udoh, Ibrahim Mustapha and Ikechukwu Ezenwa complete the Enyimba contingent.

In spite of these absences, Afelokhai was bullish regarding the People’s Elephant's start to the league season.

"This is not the first time for Enyimba to have a high number of players in the national team. We have [the] experience to handle it," he told _Enyimba Media_.

" I give thanks to Almighty God for making me be among the players to represent Nigeria for CHAN."

Afelokhai also stated that having such a large contingent from one club was an indication of the strength in depth at Enyimba.

"It is a sign of the stature of the club, and the progress we have made [individually] as players."

Enyimba travel to Makurdi on the 14th of January to face Lobi Stars on Matchday 1 of the 2018 Nigeria Professional Football League season.