2018 Africa Open: El-Amin players to represent Nigeria in S/Africa
The Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF) has named a crack team of five tested players and a coach for the continental assignment to represent Nigeria at the 2018 Africa Polo Open in South Africa. The contingent with four El-Amin players, Bello Buba, Ibrahim Mohammed, their Patron, Mohammad Babangida, Idris Badamasi, Malik Badamasi and Mohammed Kyari as Team Manager, have all the needed international exposure and the pedigree to turn the heat at the pristine Rosefield Polo Club lawns in South Africa.
Expectedly, Africa’s best polo players, their fine steeds, celebrities, royalty et al, will descend on the expansive Rosefield overlooking the picturesque Magalies Mountain, revered as the oldest mountains in the world, for exciting matches and, of course, a spot of socializing in the African sunshine.
Billed to hold September 23, 2018 the grand One Day event is South Africa’s only continental polo tournament that pits South African national polo team annually against the national team of a sister African country.
Polo Royals can authoritatively report that the 2018 Africa Open Polo Championship will feature the Ladies’ Match with Neku Atawodi-Edun, a Nigerian professional polo player who stars in this year’s Africa Polo Open advertising campaign as one of its major highlights.
Though the South African team is still being kept under wraps, the organizers believe that apart from highlighting the international status of Africa polo, the match will be history in the making as Africa’s giants clash at the intermediate height of 12 goals-handicap polo match.
“We have an invitational polo day on the 23rd September whereby we would like a 12 goal Nigerian team to play against an equally handicapped local team.” “Can you please help with putting a Nigerian team together?” The letter of invitation addressed to the NPF scribe, Baba Kyari and signed by the Managing Director of South Africa Polo Association, Clive Peddle stated.
Peddle who expressed optimism at the expected huge success of the event, as the two national teams will be meeting for the first since their clash at the FIP Polo World Cup qualifier in Malaysia, added that organizers will welcome on arrival in Johannesburg.
“The idea is for the team to get themselves to OR Tambo International in Johannesburg. I suggest they arrive in SA on Thursday 20th and depart after the game or Monday morning depending on available flights.”
Optimism is equally high within the polo family in Nigeria, with NPF President, Francis Ogboro urging contingent to be good ambassadors and make Nigeria proud at the historic Rosefield confrontation.
Ogboro who led the Nigerian contingent alongside the NPF Life Chairman, The Emir of Katsina, HRH, Alhaji Abdulmumuni Kabir Usman, is confident that that squad pivoted by the captain of the Nigerian national team, Babangida will not disappoint.
“We were with El-Amin players during their tour of Dubai and the Badamasi brothers boosting consideration exposure and experience about the competitive nature of South African polo, would be an added boost to EL-Amin quest to further the frontiers of Nigerian polo globally,” the NPF boss pointed out.
“I believe we are ready to make every Nigerian happy. All the players in the team are no strangers to a South African game having played with some them severally, and we are looking to bond our individual experiences into a stronger force that will count in Rosefield,” declares top rated Bello Buba who pivoted a Nigerian team to top finish at the Mercedes Benz Open in South Africa last year.
Last year, an 11-goal South African team took on the Kenyan polo national team in a close match – the lead changed hands several times and both teams squandered chances to seal the game in regulation chukkas.
Polo Royals reliably gathered that the duel was so fierce that it took an extra time sudden goal to separate the winners and the runners’ up. The final score was 7-6 to South Africa.