El-Kanemi Warriors boosted their push up the Nigeria Premier Football League table with a 2-0 victory over Abia Warriors on Saturday, dealing a blow to the visitors’ hopes of securing a continental ticket. 

The matchday 27 encounter, played at the El-Kanemi Warriors Stadium in Maiduguri, saw the home side take control in the first half before sealing the result late on.

Referee Hannah Elaigwu oversaw proceedings, assisted by Zango Muhammed and Aminu Salihu, with Zubairu Abubakar serving as fourth official.

El-Kanemi made their intent clear early and were rewarded in the 22nd minute when Daddy Abdulrahman converted from the penalty spot to hand the hosts the lead.

The goal settled the home side, who managed the remainder of the first half effectively to carry a 1-0 advantage into the interval.

Abia, chasing a top-three finish for the second consecutive season, pushed forward after the restart but struggled to break down a disciplined El-Kanemi defence.

Their ambitions suffered a decisive setback four minutes from time when Bashir Musa struck to double the advantage, ensuring the points remained in Maiduguri.

The victory lifts El-Kanemi to sixth place on 41 points from 27 matches, leaving them just two points behind fifth-placed Abia, who have played a game more.

For the visitors, the defeat dents their pursuit of a continental berth. They remain one point behind third-placed Enugu Rangers and two adrift of Ikorodu City in second, with both sides holding games in hand.

League leaders Rivers United sit on 46 points and appear firmly in control at the summit, also with three games in hand, intensifying the pressure on the chasing pack.

Abia Warriors will look to revive their challenge when they host Shooting Stars at their makeshift home in Aba on matchday 29, while El-Kanemi travel to Bauchi to face Wikki Tourist as they seek to build on their momentum.

Super Eagles striker Akor Adams has lifted the lid on the famously quiet nature of teammate Ademola Lookman, revealing that he heard the Atletico Madrid forward speak just three times in the space of a month, Tidesports source reports.

Adams, speaking in an interview with Sporty TV, was asked to identify the quietest player in the Super Eagles camp and did not hesitate.

“Lookman and Sems (Semi Ajayi). Both of them. He doesn’t speak. I think I heard him speak maybe three times in one month. That argument with Osimhen on the pitch was one time, then we had a talk in training, and the next one was on my phone when I watched him in an interview,” Adams said.

The revelation offers a glimpse into the personality of a player who has been anything but quiet with his performances. Lookman has contributed seven goals and assists in seven games since joining Atletico Madrid from Atalanta in January, drawing praise from all corners of European football.

Adams was then asked to pick between his Nigerian teammates and other world-class players, and his answers were telling. Given the choice between Lookman and Kylian Mbappe, he chose Lookman without hesitation. Between Victor Osimhen and Erling Haaland, he backed Osimhen.

His most passionate response, however, came when asked to compare Chidera Ejuke with Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal.

“Chidi, every day, anyday. Chidi is the best dribbler I have seen with my eyes. I think football has shifted to statistics, so I will say yes, (Chidi is underrated). If he was scoring goals, people will pay attention to the dribbles, but in terms of what he can create, I think he is the most dangerous player I have seen,” Adams said.

Ejuke currently has 18 LaLiga appearances for Sevilla this season, with one goal and one assist, and has faced questions about consistency. But in the eyes of his international teammate, the numbers tell only part of the story.

Even as Team Rivers performed far below expectations at the just-concluded second edition of the Niger Delta Games (NDG) held in Benin, Edo State, Rivers featured the youngest athletes in the competition.

This is worthy of commendation and emulation: that the Rivers State Chess met the aim and objective of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which majorly sponsored the games with the view to develop and discover young talents.

It will interest you to know that the aim and objective of the Niger Delta Games was to discover hidden and young talents from the grassroots.

The youngest athletes are Rivers State indigenes from the Okrika Local Government Area. They competed in the chess event. They are Gardiner Maxwell Koko, age seven, and David Maxwell Koko, age eight.

Apart from being the youngest athletes, they both won bronze medals, which assisted Team Rivers in not being at the bottom of the medal table.

Comprehensively, the chess team went home with seven medals: one gold medal and six bronze medals. The team actually made a statement in the present circumstances.

Those that won the medals are John Nwachukwu, who won one gold and two bronze medals; Obakpororo Saints; Onengiyeofori Jack; Gardiner Maxwell Koko; and David Maxwell Koko, who all won bronze medals.

The coach of Rivers’s chess team, Nnamso Umoren, said he is excited that his team was on the podium in the second edition of NDG, saying that there will be improvement in the next edition.

“This performance from my players has inspired me to prepare them ahead of the third edition on time.

“Honestly speaking, team Rivers will do better in the third than what we achieved in Edo State,” Umoren said.

By: Tonye Orabere