Heartland woo fans ahead Go Round clash in Okigwe

Still basking in the euphoria of their lone goal away victory over Nasarawa united at the weekend, Heartland have given their supporters a pat on the back for standing by the team all the way. 

The Nazi Millionaires who can be said to have re-structured ahead of the new season by engaging a whole lot of fresh legs, believe they stand a good chance of pulling weight this season.

The five premier league and three time FA cup winners believe the away victory will further serve as a huge ginger ahead of weekend fixture against Go Round Fc at the new Okigwe Stadium even as they called on their supporters to troop out in large numbers to support the boys.

One of the young chaps making it happen for the Owerri based side is Samuel Nnoshiri and the team did not hesitate to celebrate his contribution in tie against Nasarawa United. “What a way to get three points away from home than 17 year old Samuel Nnoshiri calmly beating his marker and banging the roof of the Nassarawa United goal. And what an assist from Nnamdi Egbujor! YES! Heartland is back! #NPFL19" the club enthused while announcing #NPFL our next game comes up this Wednesday at the sparkling new Okigwe Stadium. Once again, we will be counting on your support to cheer the lads to victory"

Heartland began the season with a lone goal defeat to Kano Pillars in Kano, recovered quickly to hammer Plateau United 3-0 in their second match before grabbing an impressive lone goal away victory against Nasarawa United.

The Nigeria Professional football league (NPFL) is featuring 24 teams for the first time, and many have hailed the successful take off of the new season.

Meanwhile a number of soccer fans who spoke  on the kickoff of the season say the League management board must do everything to curb incessant fracas that have been the trademark of the league.

A situation where the possibility of having a fight before, during, or after a match cannot be ruled out, they reasoned cannot attract the much needed fans to our match venues.

Some frowned at the banishing of teams and playing behind closed doors as punitive measure suggesting instead that deduction points in what they dubbed "Operation three goals and three points" will do the magic. “If a team knows three points will be deducted and three goals awarded to the harassed or attacked team, they will be more careful" they chorused while reacting to the fracas that occurred in the match between Remo Stars and returning premier league side Insurance of Benin.

Rangers seek icing on the cake as lobi battle Asec Mimosa

After an impressive away performance against Bantu FC of Lesotho in the CAF Confederation cup play off, hard fighting Rangers international will on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium consolidate on the smooth run so far.

The flying Antelopes will not only be hoping to win again with a 2-1 first leg advantage but will also be hoping to use victory at the Cathedral to formally celebrate the birthday of team coach Gbenga Ogunbote whose effort so far has continued to yield positive result. The club has already wished their darling coach a happy birthday but there is no doubt that victory on Sunday will be like icing on the cake.

"Wishing our very hard working Coach, Olugbenga Ogunbote 'The Oracle', a happy birthday today,  as he adds one more year to his age. Happy birthday sir!!!!! #NeverSayDie" was the expression Ogunbote woke up to find on the club's twitter handle Friday January 18.

 It did not stop there as the club went ahead to announce time for the upcoming match in an apparent call on supporters to turn out in large numbers to cheer their team to victory

"We play host to @BantuFC this Sunday in the third round second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu from 4 pm" the club announced.

Meanwhile Champions league contenders Lobi Stars who have already hit the Ivorian capital Abidjan ahead of Saturday's clash with Asec Mimosa will be up against a side that will be all out like wounded lions at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

Unlike Lobi who are heading into Saturday's match fresh from a 2-1 home victory against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Asec are heading into the match fresh from a 5-2 defeat by Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca. 

Wydad are leading Group A with Lobi stars in the second place and while Mimosa are occupying the fourth place on the log. 

Two players Mimosa’s Salif Coulibaly and Lobi Stars Yaya Kone might find themselves working a bit under pressure for taking the bull by the horns against opponents last weekend. 

While Salif Coulibaly,hit the back of the net against the Moroccans despite Mimosa's defeat, Kone  ensured Lobi enjoyed a well-deserved victory at the Cathedral against Mamolodi.

Many believe it promises to be full of fireworks with Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal set to be at the centre in the Mimosa versus Lobi battle.

Junior Lokosa joins Tunisian League side Esperance

Happy New Year and Happy new start, that is perhaps the best way to greet Kano Pillars forward Junior Lokosa after the 25 year old successfully sealed a two and half year contract with Tunisian giants Esperance on Monday.

The Tunisian club dished out a welcome message for the Badagry boy who emerged highest goal scorer of the Nigerian Professional football league last season.  His exploits just before the world cup in Russia triggered off 'Operation include Lokosa in the World Cup squad' campaign among soccer fans in the country. 

Although he was part of the shape up friendlies just before the last 23-man squad was released by Coach Gernot Rohr, he ended up not making the team to Russia with many insisting that he would have made a difference had he been given a chance. 

Excited Esperance are hoping that the coming of the Nigerian will boost their CAF Champions league campaign even as they prepare to take on FC Platinum of Zimbabwe on Friday. 

Esperance are in group B which also has Orlando Pirates of South Africa and Horoya of Guinea. The four teams in the group all boast of one point after pulling a draw in their opening matches.  

While Platinum played out a goalless draw against Orlando Pirates, Esperance held Horoya to a 1-1 draw in Conakry. Esperance host Platinum on Friday and has been tipped to pull a victory in that one.  

It is not however known whether they can unleash their new man Friday's tie. Esperance are defending champions of the CAF Champions league and have won the title three times, finishing as runners up four times.

CAF Award: Nigeria living on past glory –Peter Ijeh

Sweden based former international Peter Ijeh has declared that Nigeria is living on past glory and will have to change ways of doing things if she is to become a force to be reckoned with again in the round leather game

His submission is coming barely 24 hours after Confederation of African Football (CAF) rolled out names of winners of the prestigious African Footballer of the year award in both the men and women categories among other awards in Dakar Senegal.

Although Nigerian players have won the gong combined five times in the men's category and combined 10 times in the ladies category, Ijeh insists that the country is not making deliberate effort to discover and sustain talents good enough to compete at all levels.

Since the reign of late Rashidi Yekini according to him, consistency has been a teething problem." After Rashidi Yekini we have not had a goal machine that can really compete, we have had strikers that come up and fade  and that is because we have not been doing the right thing" he observed

The former Malmö and IFK Göteborg ace placed the blame on the door steps of the Nigeria football federation insisting that it will take a synergy between the football house and ex-internationals that have something to offer to adequately harness the talents at the disposal of Nigeria at home and in the diaspora.

"I will blame it on the football federation that is not ready to accommodate input perhaps believing they have monopoly of knowledge. When you call and even write to make contributions they will not even respond, so if you have ideas that can help and they are not ready to hear it there is nothing really you can do," he said.  Ijeh had earlier predicted that Liverpool forward Mo Salah will retain the award in Senegal.

The 41 year old who went into coaching after hanging his boot in 2012 boasts of Uefa advanced licensed certificate.

He made only one appearance for the Super Eagles in 2002.  His invitation to the national team then became inevitable after he emerged highest goal scorer in the Allsvenskan in 2002 with 24 goals.

Egypt to host 2019 first 24-team Africa Cup of Nations

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Egypt beat South Africa, the only other country to bid for the tournament. The land of the pharaohs reportedly beat the Rainbow nation 16 votes to one to clinch the nod. Cameroon were stripped of its hosting rights in November because of slow preparations. 

CAF had earlier said he decision would be made on Wednesday 9th January just a day after the CAF Award but made a U-turn last minute to announce the hosts before the award

Egypt will thus be making history as the first African Nation to host the expanded 24 team edition which will take place between June 15 to July 13 tournament.

The usual presentations by bidding countries was deemed unnecessary as both Egypt and South Africa, have representation on the executive committee.

The North African nation will be hosting the competition for the fourth time, having hosted the continent in 1974, 1986 and 2006.

The final round of qualifiers for the tournament will be held in March, with 14 nations, including Egypt, having already sealed their place at the finals.

 In terms of winning the championship Egypt remain the highest winners of the event haven won a record seven times including a triple in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

African coaches lack confidence declares Samuel Etoo

African coaches lack confidence in themselves despite having the needed qualifications to excel in the round leather game. 

Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o who made the submission opined that lack of confidence has limited the chances of most African coaches to reach the zenith of their careers.  

He equally noted that the non-progressive state of African coaches may have affected the psyche of African player many who ultimately decide against going into coaching after their playing careers. 

The former Barcelona ace told Canal+: 'some former black players don't want to become coaches, even if maybe they'd like to.

'Of course, there are many African coaches who have qualifications, but there's simply no confidence in them, unlike other coaches," he noted

The 37-year-old Eto'o, who also played for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Everton, and is currently plying his trade with Qatar Sports Club in the Qatar Stars League also noted that coaches of colour are unfortunately treated as second class citizens. He however hinted that he is ready to change the narrative when he ventures into coaching after playing.

'Coaches of colour have been disheartened because they're viewed as second-class citizens.'Still, I won in Europe as a player so I have to win in Europe as a coach," he enthused

That is indeed true with Eto'o winning the Champions League three times as a player as well as four domestic titles in Spain and Italy. 

He is keen to manage at the highest level once he hangs up his boots. The four time African footballer of

the year and two time Nations cup winner is among crème dela crème of sports legends that  hit Dakar Senegal for the Annual African footballer of the Year award.

Eto'o was a proud winner of the award in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.

Etafia to Lobi Stars: Note that Sundowns are perennial attackers!

The Nation's flag bearers in the 2018/19 CAF Champions League Lobi Stars, have been told to wear maximum concentration as a toga as they face South African opponents Mamelodi Sundowns in their two legged group stage clash.

Former Super Eagles safe hand Greg Etafia who gave the advice, said attacking football is Sundowns stock in trade noting that the Pitso Mosimane tutored side are known to play with the same momentum whether at home or away.

"They are a team who like to attack both at home and away" he told FootballLive Nigeria.

The former Moroka Swallows goalkeeper who has lived in the Rainbow Nation since 2002 and has uncounted Sundowns in the course of playing for the Swallows in the South Africa's Premier Soccer League (PSL), said the 8-time premier league champions seldom give opponents breathing space.

This is however not the first time the former Nigerian international would be volunteering advice ahead of a crucial encounter between either Nigerian club sides versus their South African counters or between the national teams of both countries. 

Recall that ahead of the two legged AFCON 2019 qualifiers between Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana, Etafia had told Bafana Bafana to put an eye on Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi if they are to prevent a sudden break that could rattle their defence describing Iwobi who only few days ago missed the 3-man shortlist for African football of the year as an incredible player.

"The 22-year-old attacker has, since his international debut in 2015, made 23 appearances for Nigeria with five goals.  “Iwobi is the future of the national team. Everyone can see the incredible things he is doing at Arsenal,” Etafia told .South African publication, Sowetan.

The second leg of the tie interestingly ended 1-1 at the FNB stadium with the Eagles qualifying for AFCON 2019 despite losing the first leg 2-0 at home.

 Lobi stars who have been intensifying training since the group stage draw was made, will test strength against Mamelodi Sundowns next weekend at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium.