Nigeria Sports Arena

Former Enyimba FC gaffer, Paul Aigbogun has  reversed his decision on joining Ghana Premier League giant, Hearts of Oak. Aigbogun was expected to arrive from London on Monday night but communicated his dis-interest in the job. A statement from the management of the GPL side signed by the team's media officer, Opare Addo reads:From Hearts of Oak on the arrival of Paul Aigbogun today: Hi fellow cherished phobians and soccer fans, Hearts of Oak wishes to sincerely apologize to its teeming fans that the coach who was expected to arrive in Accra-Ghana tonight to take up the coaching role at the club has failed to honour his word and would not come as anticipated. "Management is looking at other available but suitable options. Once again we sincerely apologize and thank you all for your patience and support."

    According to kickgh.com,  former Enyimba FC and Warri Wolves gaffer has agreed terms with Ghana Premier League side, Accra Hearts of Oak. Aigbogun who is expected to  touched down at the Kotoka International Airport on Monday evening will be unveiled to the supporters of the Rainbow club at the club's Secretariat in Accra.

     A sublime header from teenage striker Adebayo Waheed was just enough for Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club to secure their third home win of the season against Kano Pillars in one of Sunday's fixtures of Matchday 5 in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) decided at the Soccer Temple, Agege Stadium. It was indeed a tough encounter for Fidelis Ilechukwu's men. The visitors dominated possession in the early stage of the exchange but MFM defenders gave good account of themselves with great level of composure. MFM FC mounted pressure on the visitors' defence in the 8th minute with Onuwa Chukwuka, Sikiru Olatunbosun and Stephen Odey troubling the Sai Masu Gida defenders. The Olukoya Boys had a chance to register the first goal of the game in the 16th minute of the encounter when Adekunle Adegboyega low shot beat Pillars goalkeeper but Chinedu Udoji stopped the forward from scoring his second goal of the season with a timely goalline clearance.

  Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club assistant coach, Alli Suleman Obinna has called for the support of the fans ahead of this Weekend's clash against Kano Pillars.  MFM FC will welcome the Sai Masu Gida to the Soccer Temple, Agege Stadium this Sunday in one of the most exciting fixtures of Matchday 5 of the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). Reacting to questions from MFM FC media crew, Obinna urged MFM FC fans to show up en masse and stated that his wards will do everything humanly possible to avoid last season's one all draw result. "Pillars have so many fans here in Lagos because Agege is their home ground due to where they do their businesses. "I want to beg our fans to come all out this Sunday and give us that maximum support because we the coaches we have tried our best to ensure we beat Kano Pillars come Sunday. "Like everybody knows Kano Pillars is a very big team and like last season we were just a newcomer in the N

Head coach of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club, Ilechukwu Fidelis has told his players to put the draw at Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan behind and focus on next league match against Kano Pillars. Ilechukwu and his wards picked their first away point of the season on Wednesday against Shooting Stars with a 1-1 draw courtesy of a 42nd minute strike from skillful left winger, Sikiru Olatunbosun while the hosts got their equaliser from the spot through Abayomi Adebayo in the 93rd minute of the Southwest Derby. The MFM FC coach, who appreciated his players for their resilient performance gave the charge on Thursday morning before his team's departure from Ibadan. "I want to appreciate my boys for yesterday's performance against Shooting Stars of Ibadan. I want to appreciate them because of the character and quality they showed towards the game. "We have put the game behind us and I told the players to focus on our game against Kano Pi

  The Adamsingba Stadium will once again come alive this afternoon as Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan host Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) encounter tagged the "Southwest Derby". After their emphatic 4-0 win over Lobi Stars on Sunday, MFM FC moved to 4th position on the NPFL log with six points from a possible nine, while the hosts who lost 2-1 to Kano Pillars over the weekend occupies 12th spot with three points from same number of matches. The Oluyole Warriors beat MFM FC twice last season in the Southwest Derby with a 3-0 and 1-0 victories respectively. MFM FC's boss, Fidelis Ilechukwu and his troops are going into this game seeking for their first victory against the Ibadan-based team, who are on a winless streak of two matches. The Olukoya Boys must do everything within their reach to get the desired result in a match that promises to offer a lot to both teams fans. Having lost two con

The duo of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club strikers, Olatunbosun Sikiru and Adegboyega Adekunle are seeking for their first away victory of the season against Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) this midweek in Ibadan. MFM FC are guests to the Oluyole Warriors at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamsingba in Wednesday's Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) MatchDay 3 clash tagged the 'Southwest Derby.' Olatunbosun and Adekunle who have been instrumental for MFM FC in the ongoing Nigerian top-flight scoring a goal each and creating three assists said they are ready to fight for their first ever NPFL away win against the Ibadan-based outfit. Sikiru said: "An interesting game awaits us in Ibadan, it will not be an easy one but then we have to do everything within our reach to at least have a share of the three points. "We didn't have it good last season against Shooting but this term we want to prove to people that we can beat 3SC,&q

The New Media Journalist (NMJ) has wished Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs competing in the 2017 season the best. A total of ten matches would take place in the match day one of the new NPFL campaign this weekend. Former NPFL champions Kano Pillars host FC Ifeanyi Ubah at the Sani Abacha Stadium in what promises to be a spectacle on Saturday. Games would take place on Sunday, with two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC, reigning NPFL champions Enugu Rangers, Rivers United, Sunshine Stars, Wikki Tourists, Lobi Stars, Abia Warriors, Remo Stars, Plateau United, MFM FC, Gombe United, Katsina United, Niger Tornadoes, ABS FC, Akwa United, Shooting Stars and Elkanemi Warriors in action. "The New Media Journalists (NMJ) would like to wish the 20 teams involved in the 2017 NPFL campaign all the best. It is encouraging to see so many teams involved in the competition," NMJ Protocol member Jane Nweze said. "We are urging all the clubs to maintain di

The New Media Journalists (NMJ) has congratulated FC Ifeanyi Ubah for winning the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Super Cup at the Abuja National Stadium on Wednesday. FC Ifeanyi Ubah defeated Enugu Rangers 4-3 on penalties after the game ended goalless at regulation time. The Anambra Warriors fought gallantly and fully deserved NFF Charity Cup, a statement issued and signed by the Spokesman of the NMJ, Adepoju Tobi Samuel said. The statement said that FC Ifeanyi Ubah fought really hard for the title because they had to fend off the challenge from reigning Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions Enugu Rangers, which is indicative of the hard work done by them ahead of the 2017 campaign. "We would like to commend FC Ifeanyi Ubah and Rangers for playing so well in the game that took place on Wednesday in Abuja. The future is bright for both sides in the League, Federation Cup and  Continental assignments." "On behalf of the NMJ, I would like to use thi

Jimoh Mudashiru, a Nigeria-born striker who last  played for Samity FC in India, has revealed his burning desire to play for the NPFL and the national team. Tell us how you started football as a career? I started football when I was still in secondary school. The love and the passion of the game give me joy. It’s been fun and great achievement all the way in this wonderful career that chose me. Where did you play first before you traveled out of the country? I stared playing with Mundial Sports International (MSI) football club at Isolo,in Lagos State. How long have you been playing for Southern Samity in India? I have been playing for two years for Samity now. But I will also love to play for my country and its local league. Can you compare our kind of league in Nigeria with India’s? In the India league, their belief is that as a striker you must score week in week out. They don't much believe in team work. Just go there and get results. I think Nigeria league is more inte

CEO of Phreestyle Sport, Shogo Shodunnke, has called on football administrators, managers and players to ensure they lead by example in their tasks to make their sector admirable and recognized by all. Shodunnke gave the charge at a seminar tagged "Leadership Role In Modern Club Management And Structuring Players' Financial Life Using Football Terms" organized by Phreestyle Sport for officials and players of ABS FC on Tuesday. A member of FIFA University Network and International Centre for Sports Studies, South Africa noted that a leader or manager of a football team must be able to model his or her way and inspire players to greatness. "Club administrators and managers must at all time maintain high/low philosophy, hit the bottom line, practice the bumble bee principle and find helpful significance in all he does," begins the graduate of Mass Communication.  "In this part of the world, we see volume of work as commitment but in the developed countrie

Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) Ilorin FC on Tuesday unveiled 15 new players ahead of the Nigeria Professional Football League new season.  Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the Director of Football of the Club, Alloy Chuwkuemeka said the players were carefully recruited with the target of continental ticket. He promised that the Club would focus on Federation Club as a platform to launching itself on the continent.The Director maintained that the Club would do all it could to sustain its presence in the NPFL.  Chukwuemeka assured Kwarans of the commitment of the players and technical crew to do the state proud in the professional league. In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Bolakale Ayo commended the ABS Ilorin FC for its doggedness in returning to the NPFL.  The Commissioner who promised continuous support to Club charged the Kwara United Football Club to work hard in getting promotion to the elite

Preparation for the 2017 edition of Ekofootball Women Championship, tagged,LAGOS FOR HER Season 2 is in top gear as the date for the Seminar for the championship draws closer. The Championship which is put together by the Lagos State Football Association, LSFA aimed at empowering and developing the girl child through the platform of football would commence with a seminar on the 25th of this month at the Molade Okoya Indoor Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. The Seminar with the topic, Cultivating Confidence, Self Respect and Assertiveness will see top level Career Women from various fields mentoring and lecturing students, female players and other stakeholders. Wale Joseph, Chairman of the Women Football Committee of the Lagos State FA revealed that the committee is working round the clock to ensure that a very successful seminar and championship is delivered. He informed that the championship will kick-off on the 4th of February, 2017 at the legendary Onikan Stadium,

Taiye Ayinde came off the Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) Ilorin FC's bench to break stubborn Black Stars of Lokoja in a 4-0 win on Saturday in a Preseason friendly match played at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja.  Ibrahim Abdullahi (Idiamin), who only joined the team in Lokoja on Friday after battling with flu missed too many scoring chances in the first half.  The defense of the non league Lokoja based side was a hard knot for the Saraki Boys to crack as they defend with everything they have in must occasions. All efforts by ABS to break the defense of the resilient Black Stars proved abortive in the first half which ended 0-0. Coach Henry Makinwa made five changes in the second half, bringing in Adeshina Gata, Taiye and Kehinde Ayinde, Lukman Abdulhameed and Kehinde Idowu.  Taiye Ayinde beat the offside trap to stretch the Black Stars goalkeeper to his far right to make it 1-0 for the Saraki Boys in the 75th minute.  Ayinde adds the second of the day two minutes later, again,

Chairman of the League Management Company, LMC, Shehu Dikko will captain the Team NPFL at the Victor Ezeji Testimonial.  Team NPFL will play against Team Ezeji in the testimonial to honour Ezeji who played twenty seasons in the Nigerian top flight.  “I’m honoured play. I didn’t wait for them to ask me to play. I called them and told them I wanted to play because it was something I thought we could do for Victor.  “I see Victor as a brother and colleague and I was ready to play before they (the orgainsers told me they wanted me to captain one of the teams and I said it is an even greater honour,” Shehu Dikko said. "It’s always an honour play in these kinds of games, not to Victor but to me.” Shehu Dikko will arrive in Port Harcourt on Saturday morning and proceed to the Stadium to star in the match.

Akwa United Football Club of Uyo have dedicated their 2016/2017 NPFL season to God in a prayer thanksgiving service which was held at the Apostolic Church, Ibiakpan in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Chairman of the club Mr. Paul Bassey led the management and players of the team to the thanksgiving service which was also attended by the Honorable Commissioner for Youth and Sports Sir Monday Ebong Ukoh, the Director of Sports Coach Aniedi Dickson, as well as the deputy Director in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Coach Lawrence Iquaibom. In a remark, the Commissioner Sir Monday Ukoh expressed appreciation to God for His love, mercy and guidance to the ministry and also commended the state government for the effort and attention given to youth development in the state through investment in various sports. Sir Monday Ukoh who restated the state government's commitment in developing sports in the state so as to empower the youths also urged the Church and chri