After 111 days of off season activities accompanied with much anticipation, the 2014/15 GLO NPFL season is set to kick off. The thrills, tackles, moments of brilliance, team doggedness, and controversies are set to be unfolded again in the new season. The season preview is completed, here is a look into how the first match day is likely to fare.
ENYIMBA FC VS AKWA UNITED
A reunion party is expected at the Aba Township Stadium. Enyimba’s new signing Ezekiel Bassey will welcome his old team mates to his new found home while new Akwa United Head Coach, Zachary Baraje, will also reunite with the team he started last season with in Aba.
It has always been an edgy encounter between these two sides in the last few years. The home side has recorded a nervy 1-0 win in each of their last four league meetings.
Akwa United will look to put their awful end to last season behind them when they recorded just 2 wins out of their final 10 fixtures, but the trip to the Aba Township Stadium may seem too early for the Promise Keepers.
STATS: The away side has failed to score in each of the last 4 NPFL matches involving both sides with 1-0 score line ending each game.
VERDICT: Enyimba FC will win this but by close margin. The People’s Elephants look more prepared and fortified, having impressively utilized an earned opportunity to examine the team in competitive games before now.
SHARKS FC VS SUNSHINE STARS
Life after Christian Pyagbara begins for Sharks FC against an opponent that will easily bring back flashes of his brilliance. The new Dolphins forward scored all goals for his team in this fixture last season, as he helped the Blue Angels defeat Sunshine Stars 4-1.
Much has transpired within each of the two clubs since then and a look from last meeting could be parochial. Sharks FC have seemingly moved on from the loss of their top scorer last season by winning the Gold Cup in the preseason. However, they have been psychologically pegged by an attack on their Head Coach Gbenga Ogunbote just weeks before the start of the season.
In Akure, Paul Ashworth has replaced Erasmus Onuh as the gaffer. The former Technical Director of Kwara Football Academy has been trusted with the task of delivering one of the few available tickets to participate in continental competitions next season. The British head coach will face the daunting challenge of revitalizing the self confidence that propelled the team to great exploits between 2011 and 2012. The mission starts with a visit to Sharks FC, the new team of Gbenga Ogunbote, the man that set the enviable standards in Akure.
STATS: The home side has won in 8 of the last 9 league meetings between both sides.
VERDICT: I expect Sharks FC to rally round and deliver a great performance in show of solidarity for their battered Coach Gbenga Ogunbote. A victory is laid for the home side to pick up.
GIWA FC VS ABIA WARRIORS
Ladan Bosso starts his quest to rewrite a breached CV with a game against Giwa FC. Bosso, who has qualified his previous employers for continental competitions at the first time of asking, failed to achieve same feat last season as he led Abia Warriors to a 7th place finish in their first season at the topflight.
Giwa FC enjoyed the best season amongst the debuting clubs last season. The Elephants finished in the 4th position and narrowly missed out on qualification for continental assignments. However, Abia Warriors remains one of the four teams yet to record a loss against Giwa FC in their premier league campaign.
Meanwhile, the Jos based club are expected to host the match at the FIFA Goal project in Abuja (ceteris paribus) in completion of their 3 home matches ban after being found “guilty of disturbances” during their league match against Sharks on October 16, 2014.
STATS: Both teams have never scored in a league match involving Giwa FC and Abia Warriors.
VERDICT: Both sides had a great debut season and should cancel out each other at this neutral venue. My crystal ball displays a draw.
FC TARABA VS ENUGU RANGERS
Whoever is managing a team like Enugu Rangers will bear one of the heaviest pressures in the league this season. The Flying Antelopes have not won a major title since 1984 when they emerged league champions, but Kelechi Emeteole was obviously upbeat about his capability to deal with the gravity before applying for the post left by John Obuh. His tactical acumen is unquestionable and that would be put to test against FC Taraba.
The Northerners will look to ensure Jolly Nyame stadium remains a fortress when they welcome Rangers, having dropped just 9 points at home last season.
STATS: Kelechi Emeteole has never won a league match against FC Taraba. 1D 1L
VERDICT: Kelechi Emeteole’s undesirable record against Taraba FC is expected to continue. A win for the home side.
BAYELSA UNITED VS LOBI STARS
Let us start from where we stopped! This fixture was respectively the final home and away fixture for Bayelsa United and Lobi Stars last season. The Restoration Boys won 4-1 with Peter Ebimobowei scoring his second hat trick of last season to move Bayelsa United close to relegation safety.
However, this is a new season; a new chapter. The home side will have to rely on someone else to provide the goals in flurry this term.
STATS: Lobi Stars have won just once in their last 7 games against Bayelsa United.
VERDICT: A draw
IFEANYI UBA VS WARRI WOLVES
After a decade in demotion, Gabros International returns to Nigeria’s elite league as Ifeanyi Uba FC. The Nnewi based club gained promotion via a 2nd-place finish from Nigeria National League Group B last season. They face an unfamiliar foe in Warri Wolves for their first NPFL match since 2005.
Paul Aigbogun’s boys look more confident of the two teams after their improved performance in the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round 4-0 aggregate victory over RC Bobo-Dioulasso. The Seasiders will also be buoyed by the quality of players in the team after the unexpected return of Gbolahan Salami (their top scorer last term) and Azubuike Egwuekwe from their failed moves to Red Bull Salzburg and APOEL Tel Aviv respectively.
STATS: Warri Wolves’ record away at newly promoted sides since the start of 2010/2011 season. 2W 2D 12L
VERDICT: Despite the stats depicting them as mere opportunists away at newly promoted sides, I still fancy Warri Wolves getting a victory in this one.
DOLPHINS FC VS KWARA UNITED
After an uninspiring display by Dolphins FC at the SuperSix invitational tournament where they lost all (5) matches, the Port-Harcourt based club showed a bit of improvement to progress from the preliminary rounds of CAF Confederations Cup. Their home fixture against Kwara United will test their resolve and how well they have recovered from the loss of Emem Eduok, their top scorer last season.
Meanwhile, Kwara United had a decent pre-season including a third place finish in the NNL (Nigeria National League) SuperFour competition. New Head Coach Tunde Abdulrahman is already optimistic about his ward’s chances of picking at least a point in Port Harcourt. But, he will have to do more than talking as Dolphins FC do not drop points at home so easily. Since Kwara United’s last trip to Dolphins, the Federation Cup finalist have dropped just 10 points from a possible 75 points.
STATS: Dolphins FC have won their first home fixture of the season in the last 5 years, since 1-1 draw against Ocean Boys after gaining promotion in 2009.
VERDICT: Despite the likes of Christian Pyagbara expected to miss the game, Dolphins FC still seem to have enough firepower to blow the Afonja Warriors.
EL-KANEMI WARRIORS VS NASARAWA UNITED
Hostility resumes between these two northern #NPFLstats-region sides. Both sides lost prominent members of their squad during off season with Reuben Ogbonnaya and Tony Edjomarigwe joining the league Champions Kano Pillars. This game is the proper requirement to examine how well either side will cope this term.
STATS: Nasarawa United have won just 1 of the last 6 GLO NPFL matches against El-Kanemi Warriors.
VERDICT: This is a tall order for Nasarawa United and I do not see them surmounting it. A victory for El-Kanemi Warriors
WIKKI TOURISTS VS SHOOTING STARS
After making it to the final of two different pre-season competitions (Gold Cup and NNL SuperFour) and a very active transfer market, the determination of Shooting Stars to bring back the good old days is clearly written on the wall. 3SC’s league record away at Wikki Tourist is not enviable, having avoided defeat just once in their last 4 trips to Bauchi since 2005.
The home side will also look to start the season on a delightful note though without the Head Coach behind their promotion, Tunde Abdulrahman, who has joined rivals Kwara United.
STATS: Wikki Tourists have kept one clean sheet in their last 4 NPFL matches against Shooting Stars in Bauchi.
VERDICT: Having the second away win of the matchday in this fixture will not be a bad idea. Oluyole Warriors seem more prepared for a win and they should fairly grab it.
HEARTLAND VS KANO PILLARS (POSTPONED)
The fixture has been postponed by the League Management Company after Pillars’ contingent for the game were attacked by armed robbers on their way to honor the match.
Article by Ayobami Animasahun. Follow him here.
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