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Wikki Tourists 60% Ready for New NPFL Season – Dogo

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Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi Technical Adviser, Kabiru Dogo, has said that his team is 60 per cent ready for the upcoming 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

Dogo, who spoke to the newsmen during the maiden Unity Pre-season Tournament yesterday in Abuja, said he was happy with the team’s preparation for the new league season.

A date for the kick off of the 2020/2021 NPFL season is yet to be decided, with the club owners expected to meet to deliberate on the Nov.

21 date proposed by the League Management Company (LMC).

Preparations were ongoing to ensure that the team was 100 per cent ready before the commencement of the league season.

“I can tell you that we are 60 per cent ready for the league. So, we still have 40 per cent of work to do before the commencement of the league.

“We are also very grateful to the organisers of this preseason tournament because it has given us an ample opportunity of further assessing the team’s performance level as well as those of our league rivals also taking part in the tournament.

“The tournament has, indeed, lived up to its billing and we have achieved to a large extent what we came here for, which is to build a new team for Wikki Tourists FC.

“From what I have seen so far, I will say we are not yet were we are supposed to be, but we are gradually making progress and this has been a learning curve and a very competitive tournament for my boys,” he said.

On his target for the season, the technical adviser sounded very modest in his expectations, saying that improving on the team’s no so impressive position last season in the NPFL log and avoiding the drop was very crucial.

“Of course, our goal is to ensure that we begin the season on a bright note and improve on our position on the NPFL log last season.

“But we know it is not going to be easy as other teams are also preparing very hard for the upcoming season as well,” said the technical adviser.

Wikki Tourists finished 15th on the 20-team log with 45 points from 38 games played, narrowly escaping relegation with just two points in the 2020/2021 NPFL season.

They won their first two games of the pre-season tournament, thrashing Capital City FC 3-0, and walloped NYSC 4-0 in their first and second games respectively, before playing out a goalless draw with Katsina United to top Group C with seven points.

Katsina United finished second with six points, while Capital FC and NYSC finished at the bottom of the log with no point.

Wikki Tourists will lock horns with Group B winners Plateau United in the semi-finals, while Group A winners Nasarawa United do battle with the best losers of the tournament, Katsina United in the other semi-final encounter. (NAN)

SPORTS

Tottenham Interested in Crystal Palace’s Eze

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Tottenham FC are exploring a deal for Crystal Palace and England forward Eberechi Eze.

Thomas Frank is looking to bolster his options in the final third after attacking midfielder James Maddison was ruled out for the majority of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

South Korea forward Son Heung-min left the club after 10 years earlier this month having scored 173 goals in 454 appearances, while midfielder Dejan Kulusevski is still out after knee surgery.

Thus Eze has scored 14 goals across all competitions for Palace last season, including in their 1-0 win against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

The 27-year-old made his England debut in 2023 and has won 11 caps for the Three Lions, including three appearances at Euro 2024.

Tottenham are also in talks with Manchester City over a move for Savinhobut multiple sources have indicated that Eze is now emerging as a player of serious interest for Spurs.

There is no confirmation whether Tottenham will look to progress with deals for both Brazil winger Savinho and Eze.

Arsenal also have an interest in Eze but are currently looking at trying to move players on, with the likes of Leandro Trossard, Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira set to leave.

However, it remains to be seen whether Tottenham’s active interest in Eze results in Arsenal accelerating a move for the England international.

Eze joined Palace from Queens Park Rangers in a deal worth £19.5m in 2020 and has scored 40 goals in 168 appearances.

His contract at Selhurst Park is due to expire in the summer of 2027.

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Liverpool Stepping up bid to Sign Palace’s Guehi

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Liverpool are stepping up their attempts to sign Crystal Palace and England center-back Marc Guehi.

Palace captain Guehi has a year left on his contract, but Chairman Steve Parish said earlier this week he could be sold this summer to avoid him moving on a free transfer in 12 months’ time.

Sources have said that Liverpool have held initial talks with a view to signing the 25-year-old before the summer transfer window shuts.

Liverpool are also trying to sign Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni.

The 18-year-old Italian is not seen as a potential rival for Guehi but more as one for the future.

Guehi was the subject of bids worth up to £65m from Newcastle last year.

The FA Cup winners are believed to want £40m for him now, but Liverpool want to pay less than that.

The Reds have already spent about £270m this summer, though they have recouped about £170m through player sales.

They have also had a £110m bid for Alexander Isak rejected by Newcastle, though sources have said the Swede remains determined to move to Anfield.

Signing Guehi and Isak would take Liverpool’s summer spending above £400m.

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Finals of Gov. Peter Mbah Secondary Schools Games Begin in Enugu

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The finals of Gov. Peter Mbah Secondary Schools Games, on Thursday began in Enugu with the arrival and accreditation of athletes at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu.

Dan Onwuegbuna, Director, Information, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Enugu State, said in a statement on Thursday that the games would be held between Aug.

7 and Aug.
10 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and the Enugu State Sports Council.

“The games is designed to help the state discover talents to represent the state at the forthcoming U15 National Youth Games scheduled to take place in Asaba, Delta, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 6,” he stated.

Onwuegbuna said that apart from representing the state at the Youth Games in Asaba, talented athletes discovered would represent the state in other competitions.

He quoted the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Lloyd Ekweremadu as thanking Gov. Peter Mbah for approving the games.

Onwuegbuna said that the games was made possible following the collaboration between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the state Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB).

The games finals followed the outcome of the inter- Secondary Schools competitions held at the local government areas in the six Educational Zones in the State – Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Nsukka and Udenu.

“The games will feature athletics, boxing, chess, basketball, volleyball, football, tennis and scrabble,” Onwuegbuna stated.

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