Rivers’ Para Soccer Team Plays  Semi Final, Today

Para-soccer in Team Rivers will today lock horns with their Ogun State counterparts in one of the semi final matches at the ongoing 19th National Sports Festival, holding in Abuja.
The encounter is expected to kick off 4.00pm Nigerian time, at Package B, of Abuja National stadium.
The team reached semi finals after they thrashed FCT Abuja team 5-2 in their first game and beat Plateau 4-2 on Tuesday.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tidesports, on Tuesday, the chief coach of the team Mustapha Hajj, said he was optimistic that he will win the gold medal of that event.
According to him, early preparation and commitment were the reasons for their impressive performance in the festival.
“ You see we prepared ourselves four months before this festival, we always train intensively, beside that, all my players are determined and committed to make a statement in the festival “ Hajj said.
The chief used the forum to appeal to the authorities of Rivers State sports council to pay the allowances of athletes, saying that the non payment of allowance is adversely affecting the psychology of his players.
“ My players are not happy at all, in fact they are threatened to down tools, but am still begging them,” Hajj said.

By: Tonye Orabere.