60 —Vanguard, FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015
Robbers attack Kano Pillars players T
HE bus carrying Kano Pillars FC to a Nigeria Professional Football League away fixture against Heartland FC came under fire on Thursday afternoon. The 18-man squad was headed to Owerri for the week 1 fixture of the 2014/15 season when it was attacked at Abaji, according to technical adviser of the club Felix Okey Emordi. The five players injured during the attack are Super Eagles striker Gambo Muhammed, former Dream Team star Eneji Otekpa, defensive trojan Adamu Murtala, ex Elkanemi Warriors defender Reuben Ogbonnaya and wing wizard Ubong Ekpai. “We ran into them and immediately they opened fire. One of them forced the door open. They then shot the boys, of which five were injured”. “We thank Almighty God that there was no life lost. It could have been worse. Immediately after the men of the underworld pulled the trigger, we ran into the bush and we came out after they had
gone and headed to the hospital’’. It was also gathered that the armed robbers collected ransoms from players of the CAF Champions League campaigners. “As they were shooting, they were asking for money and valuables. The boys co-operated with them and ran for their dear lives. I still thank God for sparing the lives of the players,” coach Emordi continued. In the past, teams travelling on the road to prosecute league matches had been victims of the men of the underworld. “It’s a common phenomenon in the country. I’m not condemning the efforts of our law enforcement officers. They are trying their best. They need to do more to fish out the criminals.” Gambo Mohammed was the most affected of the injured players as he was groaning in pains and might be out of action for a long time. Eneji Otekpa, Adamu Murtala, Reuben Ogbonnaya and Ubong Ekpai should be back to action in a couple of weeks.
By Jude Opara, Abuja
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Pillars coach, Emordi
LMC sympathises with Pillars, postpones game The League Management Company (LMC) has expressed shock at the news of the armed robbery attack on Kano Pillars football club contingent along the
Fire works as Nigerian league kicks off BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja
A
MIDST the unfortunate robbery attack on Kano Pillars players that have resulted in the rescheduling of the season’s opener between Heartland of Owerri and champions Kano Pillars, the Nigeria Premier Football League will begin this weekend across the country with mouth-watering fixtures. The Heartland/Pillars encounter was meant to kick-start the season on Saturday. The two double headers in Port Harcourt featuring Sharks vs Sunshine of Akure and Dolphins vs Kwara United will now be the star matches on Saturday. In the other fixtures coming up Sunday, Bayelsa United will be at home to visiting Lobi Stars of Makurdi. Enyimba International C M Y K
who ended last season as runners-up will ambush next door neighbours, Akwa United of Uyo. Rangers International f Enugu will take a trip to Jalingo to keep a date with FC Taraba. Gabbros FC of Nnewi now known as Ifeanyi Uba FC will test their might against CAF Confederations hopeful, Warri Wolves while Abia Warriors of Umuahia have a date to keep in Jos with Giwa FC. El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri who now play their home matches in Kano will host Nasarrawa United of Lafia while two returnees, Wikki Tourists and Shooting Stars will trade tackles in Bauchi. Already all the teams have been talking tough on how they intend to prosecute the long season which will see each of the 20 teams on home and away basis with the attendant toll on the
Senate Committee shuns NFF
purse of the teams as well as health of the players. To this effect, most of the teams have beefed up their camp with the recruitment of more players so as to have a reserve base that can enable them go the whole hog. Nasarrawa United for instance says it has signed 13 new players to join those already in their camp. Chairman of the club, Barr. Isaac Danladi told Sports Vanguard that the major reason for engaging the new players is to make the team stronger to contest for one of the continental tickets at the end of the season. Enyimba international on the other hand is hopeful of winning the league shield after narrowly missing it last season. Club chairman, Felix Ayansi-Agwu has revealed that the Aba based side has a culture of running the team professionally.
Abuja-Lokoja Road and consequently ordered an indefinite postponement of their Match Day 1 fixture in Owerri against Heartland FC. Chief Operating Officer of LMC, Salihu
•Abubakar COO, LMC
Abubakar said the LMC had been in touch with officials of Kano Pillars, monitoring the progress of the injured players and doing everything possible to stabilise the team. He said all other fixtures of the Glo Premier League Match Day 1 will hold as scheduled but that the star match will now be a double-header in Port Harcourt between Dolphins FC and Kwara United and between Sharks and Sunshine Stars. Whilst we sympathize with the Club and strongly condemn this crime, Clubs are advised that the Match Day 1 fixtures will hold as scheduled except the Matches in Port Harcourt which will now serve as a double-header and will be televised live on Saturday.”, Abubakar said.
ARELY 24 hours af ter the House Committee on Sports berated the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for allegedly ignoring its invitation to appear before it to defend their 2015 budget, the Senate Committee on Sports yesterday refused to entertain the leadership of the NFF who had gone to defend its budget before the upper legislative committee. The Senate Committee got angry when it discovered that only the General Secretary, Barr. Musa Amadu and some members of the management team came for the budget defence. The committee members were emphatic that they will not listen to anybody form the NFF until the president Amaju Pinnick and the leadership of the NSC including the minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo appear before them. Following the development, the committee mandated the NFF team to leave and return on a later date warning that failure to do so, will force them to invoke the relevant laws to force them to do the right thing.
•Pinnick
Supersand Eagles to play Ghana today
N
IGERIA’s Supersand Eagles will play Ghana’s Beach Soccer National Team on Friday in their first outing at the Power Horse Invitational Tournament in Durban, South Africa. The Nigeria delegation, led by NFF 1st Vice President, Seyi
Akinwunmi, arrived in Durban on Wednesday morning. The 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup quarter-finalists will file out against the Ghanaians at 3.30pm South Africa time (2.30pm Nigeria time) on Friday. In other matches, Morocco takes on Cote d’Ivoire from 1pm SA time;
Senegal will clash with Mozambique from 2pm and hosts South Africa take the beach against Seychelles at 4.45pm. The three-day tournament continues on Saturday with the clash of the loser of South Africa/ Seychelles against the loser of Morocco/Cote d’Ivoire at 1pm.