Author: Adebanjo Ogunseye
Nigeria’s Africa Basketball League campaigners Rivers Hoopers have sent out scouts to monitor their group opponents ahead of next month’s opening date for the competition according to www.brila.net sources. The FIBA Africa Zone 3 champions are privy to some info, but in bits, about their opponents from Morocco (AS Sale), Tunisia (JS Karouan) and Guinea (SLAC). The team resumed regular season practice a month ago but the Coaches have only done minimal work based on specific opposition game-strategy.
Women’s tennis player Mary Michael has told www.brila.net that she is back in practice working to improve on several aspects of her game that proved to be crucial last season.
Nigerian Marathon Champion Gideon Goyet admits he needs to put in more work in order to beat off the stern competition from his biggest rival Ilya Pam. At the first race of the year in the Country; the Lagos City Marathon, Goyet finished in a time of 2:30:20 , crossing the line 2:04 faster than Pam. Speaking about the victory, the Goyet said he is excited with the win, but also can’t stop looking over his shoulder because he knows other racers have started working on doing better and he can’t slow down neither.
Heartland FC team manager Mobi Oparaku has fingered goalkeeper Oluwasegun Fatunwase for the team’s narrow 1-0 defeat in the Oriental Derby against Abia Warriors on Wednesday. Fatunwase “switched off” in a vital moment according to Oparaku and it eventually cost the team points in the group B standings of the NPFL. The solitary strike, which came in the 25th minute, from a belter by Samson Obi settled the duel in Umuahia and it also sent Heartland crashing from top to third in the table. In a chat with www.brila.net after Oparaku praised the quality of football both teams displayed.
A goal of the season contender, a 20 yarder from Samson Obi settled a pulsating NPFL Oriental Derby between Abia Warriors and Heartland in Umuahia on Wednesday. Although Heartland FC team manager Mobi Oparaku identified goalkeeping error as the reason for his team’s defeat, the former Eagles defender rated the goal as one of the best so far this season in the league. He told www.brila.net, there was nothing the keeper could have done again; he’d switched off in the vital moment, the strike was superb and it was a proper shot.’
Katsina United are 5th in group A of the NPFL table, with three games in hand, but Head Coach Abdullahi Biffo says his players will focus on the next game and not consider the advantage the situation affords.
Wilfred Ndidi keeps showing signs of improvement in the Premier League especially for his work rate in the heart of Leicester City’s midfield.
Last Weekend’s explosive game between Heartland and Kada City served everything including some of the more outrageous occurrences seen in an NPFL game.
Rivers Hoopers front office are sweating over the slow recruitment talks with two new players as they look to bolster their roster before their 2019 Africa Basketball League campaign gets underway. Inside sources confirmed to www.brila.net that players; including an unnamed multiple All-Star, are yet to join the team but there will be an update before the February 8 commencement date of the league. Meanwhile, Hoopers will make an announcement in the coming days on the recruitments and the efforts so far made to ensure the team consolidates on the performance during the regional qualifiers. The team have since…
Rangers Int’l FC are determined to keep their winning run in the CAF Confederation Cup with the focus set on qualifying from the group stages according to forward Michael Uchebo. The Flying Antelopes opened the group B account with a 2-0 win over visiting Salitas FC at the weekend, a victory that sent them top of the group. Rangers are yet to lose a game in the competition; through the qualifiers, and Uchebo told www.brila.net that it is a run the players believe that can carry through. They next play away to CS Sfaxien on February 13 in Stade…
