Ndukwe Boasts Remo Stars Will Maintain NPFL Status
Remo Stars top goalkeeper, Chizoba Ndukwe, has indicated his readiness to ensure the team maintains its new status in the Nigeria Professional Football League, (NPFL).
He told the club’s website about his readiness to contribute his best to Remo Stars’ success in the topflight.”I am willing and ready to assist the team in maintaining the NPFL status by God’s grace”.
“God assisted me and the team during the NNL season to gain promotion and I am very sure he will do the same when the NPFL season starts in some days time.”
Chizoba who was the team’s number one goalkeeper during the club’s time in the Nigeria National League, (NNL) hailed the team for doing the greater job of making sure the club secured the NPFL slot.
“It’s a delight to have the team gain promotion, I appreciate my teammates for doing the greater job during the NNL season and I am sure they will do the same in the NPFL”.
The Sky Blue Stars will play Plateau United in the first game of the new NPFL season scheduled for January 15, 2017.
Meanwhile, Remo Stars has officially captured the signature of Enudi Solomon from 2016 FA Cup Champions, FC Ifeanyi Ubah.
The former El-kanemi Warriors and Sunshine Stars winger said that he joined the Sky Blue Stars to achieve greater things.
“I joined Remo Stars to win matches and achieve greater things, also to assist the team maintain their NPFL Status.”
“Remo Stars is a young side with ambitions, and prospectus with the zeal to achieve greatness and together we will.”
“I also want to score goals to assist my new club, Remo Stars in reaching our desired goals.”
Solomon scored the winning goal against Dolphins and scored a brace two seasons ago against his former club, Elkanemi Warriors in the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL.
The winger will be in line feature for the team against Plateau United in the first game of the new season on the 15th of January, 2017. Uchenna Iyoke
Towards sustaining the friendly atmosphere that prevailed at the Sani Abacha Stadium last season, Supporters Club of Kano Pillars recently organised an enlightenment campaign for fans and other stakeholders of the club as the club hosts the official kick-off fixture of the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League season.
Sani Abacha Stadium, according to stats from the last season recorded the highest average turn-out of fans and while the season was largely incident free, the club was fined for crowd restiveness and ordered to organise a session on good conduct for their supporters.
Last Saturday, a good number of the Masu Gida faithfuls gathered at the Kano Pillars Stadium on France Road in Kano to participate in the awareness programme which was aimed at avoiding the isolated disturbance of last season.
The event was anchored by Mallam Nasiru Ibrahim, the chairman of Kano State Referees’ Council and also featured a novelty football match between two academy sides which served as simulation of real match situation.
The programme sought to provide fans education on rules of the game and interpretation of referees’ decisions. Nasiru used a microphone to explain calls for infringement as the two academy sides played.
In the course of the novelty match, the game was usually halted each time the whistle was blown and detailed explanation was provided the fans for the call made.
He supplemented the on-field tutorials by reading extracts from existing and new laws of the game, citing reasons why the fans should be law abiding and embrace the spirit of fair play.
“Football is a round leather game played between two teams, but it goes a long way to unite people from different races, religions, culture etc. We must understand the do’s and don’t’s of the game for us to be good ambassadors”, stated Nasiru.
He also emphasized on why the fans must desist from encroaching on the field of play, pelting of match officials and visiting teams with objects such as sachet water etc and other forms of crowd trouble.
The referee advised the Pillars’ followers to avoid any attempt at such unruly behaviours. He said: “No team had ever been successful by means of violence but would always face the possible outcome of bringing the game to disrepute which ultimately ruins the chances of achieving the desired result in the league”, he charged.
Chairman of the Pillars Supporters Club, Bashir Idris Mu’azu, stated that the scheme is an enlightenment campaign geared at educating every fan of the club to abide by the rules of the game.
“We designed this awareness session so that our people can be in the know and avert every form of misconduct before, during and after every match. This will go a along way to stabilize the good image we have been trying to parade as a reputable club,” he noted.
The enlightenment programme which lasted for about two hours was graced by all and sundry with the presence of the Chairman of Kano State Sports Commission, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadimma, Chairman Kano Pillars Board Tukur Babangida, Bashir Idris Mu’azu (chairman supporters club), Kano Referees Association led by Nasiru Ibrahim and large number of soccer loving fans in the state.
Kano Pillars have won the Nigerian top flight league four times and are adjudged to have the largest fan-base in the country.
The Sai Masu Gida players are currently in Kaduna preparing for the new season. They start their campaign with a home fixture against FC Ifeanyiubah on Saturday 14th January at the Sani Abacha Stadium.