Sports
2018/2019 NWPL Kicks Off With Eight Fixtures, Today
The Nigeria Women Premier League ( NWPL) kicks off today after a long break. Eight games will be played across all centres in the federation, including Rivers Angels Vs FC Robo, Sunshine Queens Vs Nasarawa Amazons, Confluence Queens Vs Ibom Angels.
Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt will play host to FC Robo of Lagos at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Last season’s opening fixture saw FC Robo picking a draw in far away Lafia against then defending champion of the NWPL Nasarawa Amazons. This season again, the Lagos Landladies will face another tough away trip to Port Harcourt as they face AITEO Cup finalist, Rivers Angels.
The jewel of Rivers are determined to start on a winning note and won’t take anything lightly. FC Robo might miss the services of key players like Chidinma Okeke and Folashade Ijamilusi who are presently at the National U20 camp ahead of the 2019 all African Games in Morroco. Rivers Angels seem good to go with a win in today’s match.
Bayelsa Queens are keen to play their opponent Kaduna Queens, today at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa.
“Moses Aduku is tactically very good and has the players to win on a good day. Kaduna Queens are new in the NWPL and would be playing a very difficult game.
The defending champion are clear favourite for this game and would want to score some goals. Bayelsa Queens may win this, as home advantage with their fans cheering them to victory, they would no doubt carry the day, as they will definitely not allow their visitors (Kaduna Queens ) keep them quiet on their ground.
Abia Angels will welcome Invincible Angels at the Ginger Onwusibe Stadium, Umuahia.
There will be goals at the Ginger Onwusibe Stadium on today where Invincible Angels will be playing their first premier league game against Abia Angels. Abia Angels are an unpredictable team, one minute they really impress and then, when you fancy them to be tough to win, they get ripped apart. But not against Invincible Angels in Umuahia. The Ann Chiejiene tutored side should win comfortably.
Also, Confluence Queens will be hosting Ibom Angels at the Lokoja Township Stadium.
This should be an entertaining one, both sides will have a go. Confluence Queens is expected to win, take it or leave it, the ‘New direction ladies’ can not afford to lose to Ibom Angels again, after losing to them by two goals to nil in the quarter final of the AITEO Cup. Ibom Angels are also a very strong side but will find it extremely difficult at the Lokoja Township Stadium as the likes of Esther Kanu, Christopher Precious will be too much for the ‘Orange Ladies’ defence.
Meanwhile, Dream Stars Ladies are set to receive Edo Queens at the Agege Township Stadium, Lagos.
Edo Queens are a dangerous side; they’ve been really good recently, are hard to beat and have a couple of match-winners in their team. Dream Stars knows what it means to play in the premier league and have signed some great players that will be keen to throw the pressure on Edo Queens early in the game.
It could be a big day for the ‘pride of Lagos’ . I doubt if Dream Stars Ladies will get away with this one, even though they are playing at home.
Osun Babes look good to host Delta Queens at the Osogbo City Stadium, Osogbo.
It will be an interesting game with the pressure more on the home team. Osun Babes FC have always defeated Delta Queens at the Osogbo City Stadium but both sides met at the Round of 16 of the AITEO Cup and the ‘Okowa Ladies’ won by two goals to nil.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
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