Sports

Mid-season: NPFL Top Scorer, Ishaq Kayode Applauds Eunisell

Published

2 years ago

March 25, 2022

Mid-season: NPFL Top Scorer, Ishaq Kayode Applauds Eunisell

Leading scorer of the 2021/22 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League, Ishaq Kayode has lauded Rivers United FC sponsor, Eunisell Limited, for its role in the club’s impressive performance in the first half of the season.

Rivers have been the best team midway into the season, with the Port Harcourt-based club currently topping the NPFL log with 42 points from 19 games, and also having the league’s two top goal scorers in their ranks.

Speaking on Tuesday, Ishaq attributed the club’s impressive season to hard work and support from Eunisell.

Eunisell is West Africa’s largest specialty chemicals and oil and gas productions solutions company and has consistently sponsored Rivers for over five seasons.

“With our performances up till the mid-season, I will say kudos to our sponsor, ” the striker said.

“They have greatly fueled our energy and the sponsorship has been very helpful to our club. A lot has changed in the last three seasons. There are more sponsorships and supports in the league, and that is helping to promote our league. With Sponsors like Eunisell and the good coordinators we have, we are happy to keep going stronger. The league has improved and that is quite encouraging.”

Ishaq who joined the top club in 2019 believed that similar sponsorship deals, more supports from corporate organsations for the NPFL and “bringing back the NPFL TV for robust match coverage will go a long way to grow local football league in Nigeria.”

According to the prolific player, what has kept the team going was “ the winning mentality both home and away, and it helped us a lot. We saw all our matches like the final that we must win, and we worked as a team.”

He pledged that the team will fight hard for the league cup and go all the way to the continental championships to make fans and stakeholders proud.

He noted that officiating has improved remarkably and that has encouraged players to go all out for results.

“Refereeing has been better and helped to improve the league a lot, because they let us know that we can win both away and home games now” he remarked.

Rivers United has won twelve games, drew six and lost only once by a lone goal from Plateau United’s Akila Jidima, out of the first nineteen games of the season.

Speaking in the same vein, the team’s captain, Austin Festus, said Eunisell sponsorship has boosted the game and players psyche.

“The sponsorship of Rivers United by Eunisell has been a great boost. Kudos to the company. Seeing Eunisell in front of our jersey is quite encouraging and we need more of this to improve the league,” he stated.

“As captain, I’m also very impressed with the Eunisell Boot Award which gives N200,000 premium per goal to the league’s highest goal scorer at the end of the season. This makes us look forward to the reward every season and engineers a good sense of competition among players,” the skipper added.

Festus who has played for sixteen years professionally in the NPFL noted that the league has improved significantly in the last few seasons in terms of officiating, quality of game and players, international invitations as well as players welfare.

In his reaction, Eunisell’s Managing Director, Chika Ikenga, expressed excitement over the club’s mid-season performance and urged them to go all the way to make fans proud at the end of the season.

“As a partner, we are glad about the club’s doggedness and impressive mid-season results. We encourage them to keep the rich vein of form running as long as they can.

“Eunisell believes that we can fashion out a partnership with Rivers United and become a winning team and that is why we have stayed with them for the long haul,” Ikenga noted.

Sports

Atalanta slam €70m price tag on Lookman

Published

7 days ago

July 20, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Atalanta slam €70m price tag on Lookman

Atalanta have set a €70m price tag on Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman.

The Bergamo-based club are willing to let the forward depart this summer, but only if their financial demands are met. The asking price is similar to the fee they received from Manchester United for Rasmus Hojlund in 2024.

Lookman, who joined Atalanta from RB Leipzig for €10 million in 2022, was instrumental in securing back-to-back European qualifications for the club. His standout performance came in the UEFA Europa League final, where he netted a historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen, becoming the first player to achieve this feat in the competition’s final.

CalcioNews24 reports that Atalanta’s €70 million valuation is non-negotiable, and they are prepared to retain Lookman if their demands are not met.

The Italian club’s stance mirrors their approach with Hojlund, whom they sold to Manchester United for €73.5 million last summer, despite the Danish striker scoring only nine league goals in the preceding season.

Lookman ended the season with an impressive tally of 26 goals across all competitions. This prolific form has caught the attention of several top European clubs.

According to reports, Barcelona, Juventus, and West Ham are among the clubs interested in acquiring Lookman’s services.

The Super Eagles forward is no stranger to the Premier League, having previously featured for Fulham, Everton, and Leicester City.

Sports

Kiraa FC Dominates Nationwide League One U-19 Youth League

Published

1 week ago

July 17, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Kiraa FC Dominates Nationwide League One U-19 Youth League

Kiraa FC, a burgeoning football club owned by Franklin Oluwasegun Currie and located in Ijebu Ososa, the hometown of the late theater icon Chief Hubert Ogunde, has quickly made a name for itself in the Nationwide League One (NLO) U-19 youth league. The club, which recently joined the league, is topping the table with 6 points after a series of impressive victories.

Under the expert technical guidance of Coach Akande Fatai Adejumo Smith, Kiraa FC defeated Patriots FC 2-1 at the FC Ebedei Stadium in Sagamu Remo, Ogun State on Tuesday, July 16th, 2024. Despite the tough competition, Kiraa FC demonstrated their professionalism and skill, securing the win. The day before, on July 15th, the club also triumphed over Switch FA, further solidifying their top position in the group.

Smith brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Kiraa FC. A graduate of electronics and electrical engineering from LAUTECH Ogbomoso, Smith has an impressive background as the former Player of Crown of Ogbomoso, Sunshine Stars Akure, and Shooting Stars of Ibadan. He has also played professionally in Asia and Europe and holds coaching licenses from The FA UK, UEFA, CAF, FCAAN, and NIS. Currently, he serves as the National Coordinator and Head of Protocol for FCAAN (Football Coaches Association of African Nations) Nigeria.

The next challenge for Kiraa FC is a match against FC Ebedei Jnr on July 18th. FC Ebedei, based in Sagamu Remo, after relocating from Lagos in 2001, plays in the Nigeria Nationwide League, the third tier of Nigerian football. It also serves as the African football academy for FC Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga championship. Following this, Kiraa FC will face Generation FC on July 23rd. Fans and supporters are hopeful that the club will continue their winning streak in these upcoming games.

Kiraa FC’s rapid rise and consistent performance under Smith’s leadership have not gone unnoticed. The team’s players are recognized for their power, techniques, and dedication, making them formidable opponents in the league. As the club continues to excel, it brings pride not only to its supporters but also to the hub of entertainment that is Ijebu Ososa.

Sports

Nigerian coaches not good enough for Eagles job – Abdallah

Published

1 week ago

July 17, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Nigerian coaches not good enough for Eagles job – Abdallah

Former Super Eagles assistant coach, Usman Abdallah, shockingly stated that no Nigerian coach is good enough for the managerial role of the country’s senior men’s national team, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Abdallah’s assertion comes after the Nigeria Football Federation announced it was considering hiring a foreign coach following the resignation of Finidi George last month.

Of the 27 coaches that had managed the Eagles since its inception, 10 were Indigenous coaches, with Finidi the last to take charge of the team.

The Eagles have been without a head coach since the former winger resigned in June

Finidi quit his role as head coach of the three times African champions following the NFF’s announcement that they would appoint a foreign technical adviser for the team.

The decision came after an outcry by the football-loving populace following the team’s poor performances, including a shock defeat to Benin Republic, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers last month.

As the federation continues its search for the next coach of the team, with reports indicating officials of the football body had approached Portuguese Jose Peseiro for a possible return, while also considering Frenchman Herve Renard, Abdallah, who served as an assistant coach under Peseiro, isn’t bothered his comments will stir the hornet’s nest.

He insisted the Indigenous coaches weren’t good enough for the job.

“It doesn’t bother me whether the NFF is considering bringing Jose Peseiro back or if they want to hire Hervé Renard as the Eagles coach as long as they can afford to pay their salaries,” he said.

“The issue is, I have heard people say they don’t want us to spend money on the foreign coach but show me a coach qualified for the Eagles job who is a Nigerian whether home or abroad. The fact is we don’t have it.

“The only person we have is Salisu Yusuf, who a lot of people don’t want because of what happened in the past, but I don’t want to argue about that. Nigerian coaches have always been serving as assistants and none of us can argue that we were better than those we’ve worked with.”

However, the former Enyimba gaffer frowned at NFF allowing foreign coaches to bring along their assistants with them.

“Appointing Peseiro or whoever is no issue, but why allow them to come with their assistants when some of us have always been named?

“How do we tap from their experience and grow to become the national team coaches? This is the mistake the federation has always made, and they need to correct that.”