Sports
Rivers United Targeting Silverware, This Season -Coach
Rivers United Football Club of Port Harcourt is poised to lay its hands on at least one trophy in the 2020/2021 football season. This was the declaration of the technical head of the club, Stanley Eguma while fielding questions from newsmen at the Dapo Abiodun Cup competition at Ijebu Ode over the weekend.
Eguma, whose side emerged winners of the recently concluded Governor Wike Pre- season Football Tournament in Port Harcourt was reacting to his team’s comeback 2-1 victory over MFM FC in their second game at Ijebu Ode. He was happy that the goal conceded by his side against the run of play did not demoralise the team, rather, it gingered them to fight back and win. He went ahead to commend the team, describing them as showing champions’ stuff.
He stated that the focus of the team is to win some silverware at the end of the season, with the NPFL title, the Federation Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup titles as targets.
“ Our target is to win something in the league this season, both in the NPFL and the Confederation Cup. I know it is very possible if we work very hard, for now, we have started and we hope that we will do a lot of hard work to achieve our collective goal, which is winning either the NPFL or the confederation Cup title or both”, said Eguma.
Though the coach said that at the club, they rely more on team work and do not judge the players individually, he, however, stated that the acquisition of the duo of Ifeanyi Anaemena and Keeper Theophilus Afelokai would go a long way to buoy the team, especially, in the continent, where they have garnered experience playing for their former club, Enyimba International.
“All the players have done well, we rely more on team work not individual players, we don’t judge them on individual basis but as a team and we are trying to gel as a team. But Anaemena and Afelokai are good and experienced players, they are integral members of the team, they came from the same club and the more they play, the more they get used to the team. I hope that their cohesion to give us more balance in the defence, we expect to see what they are made of and can bring to the team in the continent”.
Rivers United will be on duty this weekend against the Futuro Kings FC of Equatorial Guinea in the preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup, which led them to withdraw from the Dapo Abiodun Cup at the weekend.
Eguma has promised not to underrate the opponents but to go to Equatorial Guinea and win in order to make the return leg a formality.
By: Gabriel Nwanetanya
In a bid to make the Pillar of Associations Rivers state football tournament to become a permanent annual feature in Rivers state football calendar and a veritable platform for alternative career opportunity for Pillar members and members of Rivers football community, the Chairman of the tournament’s Organising Committee, Comrade Franklin Obute has stated that they were open to welcoming sponsorships from corporate entities and well meaning individuals.
Comrade Obute in an interview with news men on a match day at the ongoing competition at the Rivers State University’s ground said that the Pillar of Associations were ready to partner interested parties, who would be willing to invest in the competition through sponsorship towards elevating the quality and standard of the tournament.
According to him, “The Pillar of Associations tournament, due to the opportunities available, owing to the sheer number of businesses and members obtainable in the Pillar, would be a very attractive opportunity to exploit through sponsorship”.
He stated that there would be a conscious efforts toward sensitising the corporate and private environments to buy into the vision and objectives of the tournament. He explained that due to the open nature of the competition, whereby members of the association are allowed to engage any footballer from across the country, whether a business man or not, any sponsor would be able to enjoy unimaginable mileage.
“Every multinational company, private businesses should aspire to be part of the sponsorship of this tournament because there are so much benefits derivable therein, the coverage is very wide. You know that organising a football tournament of this nature is capital intensive, so, any sponsorship to add more value is welcomed”, he said.
The 2025 edition is currently ongoing and has reached the second round stage where matches are now being played on knockout basis, beginning from Friday.
By: Gabriel Nwanetanya
Some of the best golfers across Africa are expected to converge on the Ikoyi Club 1938 Golf Section for the three-day Ikoyi Ladies Golf Tournament holding from November 11 to 13.
The star-studded amateur open tournament is part of the activities lined up by the leadership of the club to celebrate the ladies’ tournament’s 50th anniversary.
Speaking at a world press conference at the Club’s headquarters in Ikoyi, the Ladies Club Captain, Mrs Peggy Onwu, explained that the tournament will offer opportunity for leading amateur golfers across 11 countries of the world to showcase their skills on the green lawn.
According to her, over 150 golfers have already registered for the open tournament, which will attract mouth-watering prizes, including a trophy, a premium ticket to the United States of America, among others.
The event will be preceded by ‘Twilight evening,’ which will see the participants play the golf game towards dawn, in a relaxed atmosphere with cocktails, networking and good music.
She thanked the various sponsors of tournament, including PWC, Delta Airline, Western Star, First EGP, among others, for identifying and keying into the Club’s goals and aspirations as part of their corporate social responsibilities.
Mrs. Onwu added that the event was not only a celebration of resilience, commitment, dedication and sacrifice, but a rare display of exemplary team spirit by all members of the Ladies Golf Section.
Thrilled by the presence of a Nigerian-born Italy- based golfer and fashion icon, Bali Lawal, as well as other professionals expected to grace the tournament, she promised that the tournament will be a memorable outing aimed at mentoring ladies keen on honing their golfing skills.
Speaking in the same vein, Vice Lady Captain, Annie Eimiakhena, explained that the tournament will entail three days of competitive outing showing skills, professional dexterity.
She added that participants and golfers will use the opportunity of the event to network among themselves, while a Masterclass will be held to educate would-be golfers on the dynamics of the game.
The Technical Manager of Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt, Finidi George has praised his boys (players) as they ran away with a point in the rescheduled match day nine of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) against Bendel Insurance.
According to him, before the game, he told his boys that they have to put up a good fighting spirit in the game, knowing that it will not be easy at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.
Finidi said this last Thursday in his post match interview with sports journalists and made available to Tidesports after they secured a goalless draw against Insurance.
He explained that in the first half, the game was 50-50 but in the second half after 15 to 20 minutes, my players pushed them back, looking for goal but they were able to hold them and got the draw.
“ From onset, I knew it was going to be a difficult game. Yes, we have to defend deep and get something. Kudos to my boys, they put up a good fighting spirit.
“ Despite the host creating good number of chances even hitting the crossbar but I must say that the draw is not a bad result.
“ Wasiu Falolu came closer in the second half but his long ranged shot just went over the bar.
“It was not a bad result but we have to move on and see how we can get good results from other matches” Finidi said.
By: Kiadum Edookor