Season’s First Goals
Excite Okuoka
As Naze-Millionnairse
Await Lobi in Week 19
Heartland striker, Happy Okuoka is ecstatic with his brace and first goals of the season against Sunshine Stars.
The Naze Millionaires were held to 2-2 draw by the Akure Gunners in Wednesday’s Glo Premier League match day 18 duel at the Akure Township Stadium with Okuoka providing the two goals while Muyiwa Lawal and an own goal by Doumbia Zoumana cancelled both strikes for Sunshine Stars.
Okuoka said though his side targeted the three points at stake he was still satisfied with sharing honours with the hosts.
“Of course, I’m happy scoring my first goals of the season and it turned out to be a brace against no mean opposition as Sunshine Stars.
“Yes, we wanted a win but picking a point on the road is not an easy task so we’re satisfied with the result.
“We scored first while Sunshine leveled scored and went ahead before we rallied round to equalise, I was almost scoring a hat trick in the added time before the referee called off the match, it was a good game I must confessed,” said Okuoka to supersport.com.
Okuoka said his side will take their newly-found winning mentality to Lobi Stars in match day 19 tie on Sunday in Owerri.
“We’re steadily coming up and we’ll continue to take every game as it comes. We’re taking our winning mentality to Lobi Stars, I’m certain the Makurdi-based side will go down on Sunday.
“We want to end the first stanza strongly and on a winning note so we won’t bargain anything less than an outright victory in the game,” said Heartland prolific star.
The point at Sunshine Stars has upped the Owerri-based side points haul to 24 from a possible 54 in the 18-week old Nigeria top flight.
Nigeria Remain 44th in June Fifa Ranking
Tackles USA in Last Pre-World Cup Friendly
The Super Eagles remained stagnant in the latest monthly Fifa ranking before the World Cup released on Thursday morning
Nigeria remained unmoved at number 44 in the latest Fifa rankings for the month of June released on Thursday.
The Super Eagles failed to improve on their rankings with seven days to the World Cup despite recording two draws in their friendly matches, a 2-2 draw with Scotland and a goalless draw with Greece.
Nigeria are ranked 28th amongst the 32 countries that will feature at the World Cup and are the least ranked side in Group F where they have Argentina (5), Bosnia (21) and Iran (43).
In the overall world ranking, Europe still holds onto the top two spots with Spain and Germany while World Cup hosts Brazil climbed up one spot to the third position.
Behind the top three are Portugal, (4th, down 1), Argentina (5th, up 2), Switzerland (6th, up 2) and Uruguay (6th, down 1) who share seventh position.
Algeria have become the top-ranked African side on the 22nd position, after they overtook Cote D’Ivoire who dropped two places to 24th position in second.
Heartland FC Draw Ebonyi Angels in Fed Cup
..As Police Face Gombe United
Former cup champions Heartland Football Club of Owerri has been drawn against the rejuvenated Ebonyi Angels of Abakaliki in this year’s Federation Cup round of 64 slated for July.
In the same vein, Barton FC (Police Machine), Owerri were also handed a rather tough tie against Premier League side the Desert Scorpions, Gombe United of Gombe State in one of the Fed cup games.
It would be recalled that Ebonyi Angels played in the National League before they were hit by cash strap prompting the State Government to sale the Abakaliki based side which was renamed Anambra United although they too couldn’t fare well hence the rebirth of Ebonyi Angels in Abakaliki.
The Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday released the Round of 64 of this year’s edition of the Federation Cup in both the male and female categories.
In the parings made available by the Glass House in Abuja, Federation Cup defending champions, Enyimba International of Aba, will keep a date with Sokoto North FC; Zara Studio FC, Kebbi will engage Niger Tornadoes FC; CBN Cashless FC, Jigawa will engage Nembe City FC; Ibom Youth and Kastina Spotlight FC will do battle; Heartland FC will tackle Ebonyi United; Kwara United will renew age-long rivalry with Sharks FC of Port Harcourt; and Leopard FC will attempt to upset Kaduna United.
Crown FC will challenge Bright Stars, Ebonyi, Apa United will face Ekiti United, Nasarawa United gets Young Elephants, Bauchi to battle, Insurance of Benin clashes with Sunshine Stars, Bobbies FC, Delta will square up with Ajiroba FC, Rangers FC will try Ikeapzu FC of Anambra for size, ABS FC and Giwa FC will aim to cancel each other out.
Yerima Light FC, Gombe will seek Jigawa Golden Stars scalp, Lobi Stars will feast on Tornadoes Feeders, AS Racine FC of Lagos will keep a date with FC Taraba, Sky Academy FC, Kano have Plateau United, Abia Warriors will ambush Mafara United, Zamfara, Wikki Tourist will entertain El Kanemi Warriors, Yobe Desert Stars versus Kogi United FC, Dolphins welcomes Ingas FC, Enugu.
In other games, Remo Stars clash with Bayelsa United, Binani FC, Adamawa drawn against FRSC, Abuja, Gateway FC battles Kano Pillars, FC Lokoja will square up with First Bank of Lagos, Gombe United FC will face Barton FC (Police Machine), Imo State, Prime FC sets up a clash against El Kanemi Babes FC while Dan Burdan
NPL WEEK 19 Games
Heartland — Lobi Stars
Crown FC — Bayelsa Utd
Sharks FC — Akwa Utd
Gombe Utd — FC Taraba
Nasarawa Utd — Abia Worriors
Kaduna Utd — Warri Wolves
El Kanemi — Ramgers
Nembe City — Sunshine Stars
Enyimba — Giwa FC
Kano Pillars — Dolphinshty
World Cup Friendlies (6/6/14)
Russia — Morocco
Germany — Armenia
Brazil — Serbia
7/6/14
Colombia — Jordan
Croatia — Australia
Japan — Zambia
Costa Rica — Ireland
Greece — Bolivia
Cameroon — Moldova
Mexico — Portugal
Belgium — Tunisia
Argentina — Slovenia
El Salvador — Spain
England — Honduras
USA — Nigeria
