Interview with Stephen Worgu

Stephen Worgu switched the blue jersey of six-time Nigerian champions, Enyimba, for the red of Sudanese giants, Al-Merreikh, in 2009 for a fee of $2.5 million after helping the Peoples Elephant reach the semifinal of the 2008 CAF Champions League by scoring 13 goals.

Weeks later after Enyimba’s exit in the Champions League, he agreed to join the Sudanese club, he scored in his first game.

Almost two years into his contract now, the 20-year-old tells SuperSport.com about his life in Sudan, coping after the death of his team-mate and friend, Endurance Idahor and why he has turned in a less ratio of goals at the Omdurman club.

It has been quite a while that you have been heard about after that big-money move from Enyimba to Sudanese side, Al-Merreikh Sporting Club.

Well it is one of those things in life. This minute you’re on top of the world and the next you’re nowhere to be found. But it has been good with me here in Sudan.

I know you were very close to the late Endurance Idahor. How have you been coping at Al-Merreikh SC since his death in March this year?

Life here has not been the same again because I feel really alone out here though Kelechi (Osunwa) is here too. But I really miss Endurance (Idahor) because he was like a big brother and a Godsend to me when I first arrived here in Omdurman. On and off the pitch, he was a great guy and he was totally helpful when I first came here because I didn’t understand anything out here.

Has his absence affected your performance for Al-Merreikh SC?

No it has not. Instead when I go out there to play for my club, I always have it in mind that apart from playing to make the club and the fans happy, I am also playing for my late friend and brother.

So, his death has not affected my game in anyway rather it has pushed me to want to achieve something with this club.

Last season, you featured in 58 matches in all competitions for your club and managed to return just 12 goals. Are you satisfied with that performance considering the fact that you were signed from Enyimba with an impressive goals’ rate?

Actually I do not agree with that statistics but at the same time I cannot argue against it because I have not scored many goals since I came to Al-Merreikh. But I must say that I am happy with my contribution to the side since I joined them last year.

Football is all about team work and I am part of a team, so I careless about personal achievement because I will like to be in a team that wins all the trophies there is to win.

Can it be that the Sudanese Premier League is tougher than what you anticipated?

Sincerely they have a good league here but I think the Nigerian league is more competitive than what I see here because the league here is about two teams – Al-Merreikh and Al Hilal.

You have witnessed the Omdurman derby between your club, Al-Merreikh and rivals, Al Hilal, what’s your impression about it?

Seriously in my life as a footballer I have never seen such rivalry before. Even while I was playing for Ocean Boys, when we face Bayelsa United it is usually not like this though I understand that these things happen in football.

For me, I will say that I did not find it funny because the supporters of the other club do not like you for anything at all, and they do not hide from the way they behave. But as a professional footballer I must do my job all the same no matter what.

At some point last year, there were reports suggesting that you were unhappy in Sudan and wanted to leave. Al Ahly of Egypt was touted as one of the destination, why didn’t you leave?

There were several clubs coming for me then but I was not allowed to leave because of the huge money that my club paid for me.

Clubs from Europe especially Belgium came calling but I had to stay and honour the contract I signed. But now I have offers elsewhere. I am talking to a number of clubs at the moment.

What have you enjoyed so far in Sudan since you joined Al-Merreikh?

I will say that it is the fans that make me feel at home now. They’ve been very supportive, and even when I don’t score goals they are always screaming my name and that pushes me the more to perform the more for the team. So that’s why I want to repay them back and hopefully we can win something this season.

NFF, NPL to meet over Premier League kickoff

The Nigeria Football Federation is expected to meet with Premier League stakeholders on Friday to decide on a start off date for the 2010/2011 season.

"The management of the NFF and that of the NPL will meet with club owners to harmonise plans for the new season, even though no date has been reached on the commencement of the season," NFF Acting General Secretary Musa Amadu said.

Amadu stated that the NFF came to the decision after a recent meeting between the Federation‘s management staff and the Sports Minister, Alhaji Ibrahim Bio.

"It was agreed that the league may commence a day or two before the country’s Golden Jubilee celebration or immediately after the celebration," he said.

Amadu said other issues to be discussed at the meeting are the welfare of players, referees, match commissioners and other class of officials.

"The meeting will also examine all other issues such as the venues for the league matches and look at the ones that have met the set standard and those that need to be worked upon," he said.

The league season was earlier scheduled to begin on Saturday September 25.

http://www.kickoff.com/news/17945/nff-npl-to-meet-over-premier-league-kickoff.php

Premier League to kick off October 2

Nigeria's domestic league will now begin on October 2 for the 2010/2011 football season.

A meeting between the NFF and NPL on Friday in Abuja resolved to get the league underway a day after the country's Independence Day celebrations.

The NPL had initially picked September 25 as the kick-off date for the top division, but that date was jettisoned by the executive committee of the NFF shortly before their election was nullified by a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Champions Enyimba will open the defence of their title with a home fixture against former champions Ocean Boys.

Week 1 Fixtures
Enyimba v Ocean Boys
Plateau Utd v Dolphin
Rangers v Lobi Stars
Gombe Utd v Heartland
Sharks v JUTH FC
Bukola Babes v Zamfara Utd
Tornadoes v Crown FC
Wolves v Kwara Utd
3SC v Sunshine Stars


1st match (2nd) is between Kaduna Utd and Kano Pillars

I should be able to watch that in kaduna dis weekend at ahmadu bello stadium.Pls honeric,when is ur own league starting?I mean div 1,lol

^^

Abeg leave me joo lol, i no no when we go start

Lol

Less than one week to go before the new season kicks off and there is still no sponsor. I wonder how the NPL will get by without a sponsor this season. They barely survived last season and had to use monies meant for players welfare and could hardly pay the referees

@honeric. The guy am talking about plays for bukola babes not abiola babes as i stated earlier. Watch out for Azeez Shobola

@mejai
I heard from sportsplash that Glo has agreed to continue with the league, heard they want to pay the outstanding debts and then re-negotiate for the new season b4 friday. Meanwhile mtn and etisalat are still hanging around sha.

^^^^
Bukola babes? Ok well i am yet to see any of their matches, so can't say much bout that player.

honeric01:

@mejai
I heard from sportsplash that Glo has agreed to continue with the league, heard they want to pay the outstanding debts and then re-negotiate for the new season b4 friday. Meanwhile mtn and etisalat are still hanging around sha.

^^^^
Bukola babes? Ok well i am yet to see any of their matches, so can't say much bout that player.

thats great. hope they wont pull out midway into the season. But then, one would expect that at this point in time, it should be sponsors on their knees begging to sponsor the league and not the other way around

^^

Is it not Nigeria? the believe they are doing us a favor.

Tornadoes ready to release Salami

Nigeria Premier League (NPL) side Niger Tornadoes have declared that they are willing to listen to prospective clubs willing to sign on Eugene Salami.

Chairman of the club, David Suleiman, said they are ready to open talks with rival sides in the Premier League willing to pay the asking price for the striker, who has been Tornadoes’ top scorer in the past two seasons.

Suleiman, a former executive member of the Nigeria Football Association (now Nigeria Football Federation), is also hoping that Niger Tornadoes can keep the 21-year-old striker for the 2010/2011 season, which kicks off this weekend.

“We want to keep all of our players especially the ones that did well last season. But this is always difficult when there are offers from other sides. In the case of Eugene Salami we want to keep him for the coming season, but if another club comes with the right fee then we will do business,” said Suleiman.

But the Niger Tornadoes’ chief added that his side will include a clause in the deal with any Nigerian club that eventually signs the player.

“Of course we will allow him go for the fee that we think is right. But there will be a clause in the contract that will also allow Niger Tornadoes earn money if he eventually gets a club abroad,” he disclosed.

http://www.supersport.com/football/nigeria/news/100927/Tornadoes_ready_to_release_Salami

Eguma tips Dolphin to win league title

Manager of Nigeria Premier League side, Dolphin F.C. of Port Harcourt, Stanley Eguma says his team can win the 2010/2011 NPL title.

The season begins on October 2 and the Port Harcourt based side are scheduled side open their account with a tricky tie at the Rwang Pam Stadium against Plateau United.

“We have some of the best players in Nigeria” Eguma told SuperSport.com.

“Emma Godwin, Victor Babayaro, Sunday Rotimi, and Udoo Ochiogu are some of the most experienced players on the domestic scene in Nigeria. All we need now is the required motivation from the sponsors and we will definitely win the league.”

On the other sides to watch out for this season, Eguma who is also known as “Nigeria’s own Harry Redknapp” noted that there may be a few shocks on the cards.

People talk about the traditional sides, Enyimba, Heartland, Rangers and Kano Pillars but the way I see it, an unheralded side may just sneak in from nowhere and clinch the title so all the sides must gird their loins….we at Dolphins will certainly be doing that” he added with a smile.

Tipping is not a problem. . .let them continue to do so,

But abeg, Comot for road, the ELEPHANT is COMING!!!

^^^^

everyday nobi xmas

The NPL kickoff date have been moved forward to 23rd September. The league will now feature 24 teams as no team was relegated for 09/10 season.
  Ridiculous decision.These people are confused.

^^^ For real?

@honeric01, on our street, its always jamboree. Comot for road, the Elephant is coming! what you gonna do?

I AM TIRED OF THE LEAGUE, A LEAGUE WHERE A SPORT MINISTER DECIDES WHAT GOES ON IN THE LEAGUE, WHY WOULD 4 RELEGATED CLUBS BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE LEAGUE? Why? Why? I am sick of the way goats, cows and chickens run this country.
God!!! Bio, i feel like cussing this man, including that useless Baribote.

honeric01:

I AM TIRED OF THE LEAGUE, A LEAGUE WHERE A SPORT MINISTER DECIDES WHAT GOES ON IN THE LEAGUE, WHY WOULD 4 RELEGATED CLUBS BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE LEAGUE? Why? Why? I am sick of the way goats, cows and chickens run this country.
God!!! Bio, i feel like cussing this man, including that useless Baribote.

no be only you tire o, I'm fed up as well. Its like they're taking step forward and they sprint backwards. Its horrifying to see that a bad decision like this is made to pacify one person.
I learnt the league will now be in an abridged format-North and South. The top two from each region will now take part in a playoff; sort of like the super 4 to decide the winner. 8 teams will also be relegated

^^^^

I feel like crying, Obaseki is blowing hot air, that man is as angry as anyone should be, why would a sport minister take such a decision? the league is a private entity, not a government property, why would a government appointee decides what goes on in a private company? why? are some people that sick in the brain not to know it's wrong? what the heck is wrong with Nigerians? seems some of us are 100% stupidddddddddd


Bio, you are the most STUPIDDDDDD person i have ever listened to on planet earth!!!



Obaseki is taking the sport minister to court ASAP!!!

NPL kicks off October 23 with record 24 clubs


The Nigeria Premier League (NPL) will now commence on October 23 with a record 24 clubs including Bayelsa United, after a meeting between football officials and the Nigerian Sports ministry.

Bayelsa United, one of four relegated clubs at the end of last season, have consistently fought against their relegation, claiming they should have been awarded three vital points against Wikki Tourists in their final game of the season, when the match was abandoned by the home team.

Last weekend, the NPL announced that the season will kick off October 2, when the earlier date of September 25 was discarded by the NFF.

But even that new date was rendered unfeasible by a plethora of protests from various stakeholders led by Bayelsa United and including referees, and the players' union.

Bayelsa chairman Victor Rumson Baribote threatened to go to court to halt the League kickoff if his club were relegated, a threat that prompted the meeting with the sports ministry.

The current decision means that all four previously relegated clubs will now contest in the 2010/2011 season along with four newly-promoted clubs.

So Bayelsa United, Wikki Tourists, Gateway and Ranchers Bees will keep their places in the Premier League where they will be joined by promoted clubs Crown FC, Bukola Babes, JUTH and Plateau United.

This enlarged representation means the League will now have to draw up new fixtures, and sources at the NPL also told KickOffNigeria.com that the League is considering splitting the league into two streams of 12 teams each, with a playoff for the Top Four teams to decide the League winner.

Four clubs would then be relegated from each stream at the end of the season, with two promoted on both sides to return the competition to its normal 20 clubs at the end of the current season.



Animalsssssssssssssss

These decisions were reached at a parley held yesterday in Abuja between the Sports Minister,

Isa Bio, the NPL board members, and the club owners.

private company me azz

Tell your people to learn how to lose elections gracefully, every single election in nigeria is a problem everybody wants to be the chairman of every single department the loser will always go to court for this or that until he is pacified somehow

two options

a court case halting the already postponed kickoff

2) 24 teams to kick off and avoid three years court case with many other court case

I love nigerian they are the smartest people on earth with fish brain! so greeedy yet so religious at the same time, rules is not in their vocabulary

[size=4pt]I'm togolese[/size]

Baribote is everything that is wrong with football management. He wants to run NFF meanwhile Bayelsa United disgraced Nigeria on the continent and he cannot shut his mouth.

Abeg make league start so that we all watch Honeric01 hope his lost Insurance limp back to the premiership.


SHARKS ALL THE WAY!!!

i have lost interest in the league, until it returns to the normal 20 clubs, i won't report anything about the league again!

Olodo ni awon people yi sha. This is ridiculous but anyway, what do we expects from the bunch of nitwits.

Ha!Aye mi o,what kinda league is this?I'd better start watching ghanian and south african leagues

Shege mutane

There'll be no Enyimba vs Pillars match because they'll be in different conferences except they meet in the final play offs. The league will be so unexciting this season. . .

honeric01:

i have lost interest in the league, until it returns to the normal 20 clubs, i won't report anything about the league again!

I feel your pain bruv but then, they had to make a decision. They were left with no choice. The other option they had was to relegate Bayelsa United and prompt a court case that would probably stop the league from starting which means there will likely be no league this season.
According to what I read in the papers and heard from some analysts, it would have been wrong for Bayelsa to go down. They were leading 1-0 against Wikki until the 88th minute when Wikki fans in Bauchi invaded the pitch. They would have been awarded 3pts and 3 goals but board room points had been banned.
According to the NPL laws, Bayelsa should have been informed of a replay at least 48 hrs before the game but they were only informed of a replay a day before the game and meanwhile, Bayelsa were already in Kaduna for their midweek game. Baribote was willing to go to any length to fight this and so this was the only decision that could settle everything.
Honeric, just keep faith. We'll get there

but they has something like this some years back group A and B or maybe 4 groups i cant remember

medjai:

I feel your pain bruv but then, they had to make a decision. They were left with no choice. The other option they had was to relegate Bayelsa United and prompt a court case that would probably stop the league from starting which means there will likely be no league this season.
According to what I read in the papers and heard from some analysts, it would have been wrong for Bayelsa to go down. They were leading 1-0 against Wikki until the 88th minute when Wikki fans in Bauchi invaded the pitch. They would have been awarded 3pts and 3 goals but board room points had been banned.
According to the NPL laws, Bayelsa should have been informed of a replay at least 48 hrs before the game but they were only informed of a replay a day before the game and meanwhile, Bayelsa were already in Kaduna for their midweek game. Baribote was willing to go to any length to fight this and so this was the only decision that could settle everything.
Honeric, just keep faith. We'll get there

And why did it have to be the sport minister? why would the sport minister be the one to determine what goes on in a league where government has refused to invest in? the NPL is a private league and not a government body, the NPL has its own congress (council) that takes charge of things like this, bio and ekeji didn't let things flow, they came in and veto the whole thing, i still wouldn't touch that league, at least for this season.

ok
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