Page 61 stories

Page 61 stories

Oliseh considers Iheanacho for Egypt tie

Kelechi Iheanacho could figure in Nigeria’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games against Egypt in March, supersport.com can report.

Nigeria head coach, Sunday Oliseh, explained that he is considering the Manchester City striker on the strength of his recent performances for his club.

The Super Eagles gaffer is also weighing up the option of making the trip to Manchester to have a face-to-face talk with the 19-year-old.

However, Oliseh, 41, is yet to make his squad for the AFCON qualifying games against Egypt public but stated that he knows players he wants to call up for the double-header in March.

“I have not sent out my list of invited players yet. But with the kind of goal he came on to score (for Manchester City against Tottenham) recently I am looking very much at him. In fact I hope to move up to Manchester, but I am just waiting on some little things to be sorted out then we will have that done,” Oliseh said.

Iheanacho has scored nine goals, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, for Manchester City this season.

Fifth Chukker wins Majekodunmi Cup

The 2016 NPA Lagos International Polo Tournament came to an exciting end yesterday, with Lagos Fifth Chukker winning the prestigious Majekodunmi Cup following a 15-7 victory over Lagos Ironclad/Trojan.

The day’s other title clash, saw Lagos Aerovote defeating Lagos Zippy 5-3 to emerge champions of the Low Cup.

The Majek Cup played before a full crowd that include Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote, GTBank Managing Director, Segun Agbaje, among others, saw Fifth Chukker (Adamu Atta, Babao Lawal, Manuel Crespo and Julio Nolito) opening the score through Crespo.

The second chukka was identical to the initial as a combination of poor finishing and desperate defending prevented further goals but it was Crespo, who scored the game’s next two goals for a 4-0 lead.

Eduardo Menendez got Ironclad (completed by Tobi Edun, Kunle Tinubu and Frankie Menendez) off the mark with a 40 yarder right at the start of the third chukka but Crespo responded with another goal for a 5-1 lead.

It was soon 6-1 as Crespo who was later named the MVP for the Majek Cup, scored a reverse shot to punish an uncleared ball by Ironclad.

Eduardo scored to make the score 6-2 but Crespo was on hand to make it 8-2 with two more goals and it was 8-3 by the end of the fourth chukka as Eduardo scored a goal to keep his team on the game. The scoreline was 10-5 as Crespo and Eduardo and Tinubu scored in the fifth chukka. The last chukka witnessed more fireworks from Crespo, who spearheaded a magnificent display for a 15-7 triumph for Fifth Chukker.

It was equally a great battle in the Low Cup between Aerovote and Zippy.

Yerima Yusuf almost scored inside the opening 10 seconds but his long shot was cleared as Zippy held on to their two-goal handicap advantage.

With no field goal recorded in the opening chukka, the second chukka got off lively with Leroux Hendriks scoring to extend Zippy’s lead but Martin Juaregi hits back for Aerovote taking the scores to 3-1.

Amodu Umar finished a team play to reduce the deficit before Juaregi puts the ball over the line but the goal was not given due to an infringement on the line by the Argentine four-goaler.

Umar tied the match picking a long grounded pass from Juaregi and the match was delicately poise into the final chukka.

Juaregi, named MVP of the Low Cup, scored to keep Aerovote’s nose in front for the first time in the match and he was on hand to widen the advantage for a 5-3 final score.

Pillars down Rangers with last-gasp winner

Wasteful Kano Pillars came from a goal down to beat an impressive Enugu Rangers 2-1 in an opening day match of the Nigeria premier league on Sunday at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

New signing Chiemaka Madu gave Rangers an unlikely lead when he headed home off a superb cross from the right by Osas Okoro in the 50th minute.

However, skipper Gambo Mohammed restored parity in the 77th minute, when he coolly slotted home from inside the box after the persistence of substitute Adamu Hassan.

In stoppage time, Prince Aggreh crowned his Pillars debut with the match winner when he cut in from the left before he let fly and send the capacity crowd into wild jubilation.

Godwin Aguda fluffed the two biggest chances of the day including one in the first half when he was one-on-one with Pillars goalkeeper Yusuf Mohamed, who made himself big to deny the Rangers striker.

The other was in the 75 minute, when he waltzed through the Pillars defence, but his shot from six yards crashed against the foot of the post and the rebound was fired over the bar.

Home team Pillars, who gave debuts to six new signings, took the game to Rangers and they also bossed the possession.

In the other matches played yesterday, league defending champions Enyimba of Aba lost 0-1 away Rivers United. A second half free kick goal by Frederick Obomate was all the Port-Harcourt side needed to shot down the champions at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt.

In Ibadan, Kingsley Eduwo scored the lone goal of the match as visiting Lobi Stars claimed all the three maximum points over his former club Shooting Stars, while hosts Sunshine Stars were forced to a 1-1 draw by Akwa United.

Afolabi Okiki gave hosts Sunshine the lead after 12 minutes, before Friday Ubong drew Akwa level in the 24th minute.

Akwa were reduced to 10 men after Godpower Igudia was sent off after a second booking in the second half.

Also yesterday, Giwa lost 1-0 in Jos to visiting FC IfeanyiUbah, while Ikorodu United drew 1-1 with Abia Warriors. Wikki defeated hosts El-Kanemi 1-0 in Katsina and Warri Wolves played out a 0-0 draw at Heartland.