2021/22 NPFL champions, Rivers United are engrossed in preparation for a trip to Spain for preseason training camp in Madrid ahead of their 2023 CAF Champions League, NPFL and Aiteo Cup campaigns, Completesports.com reports.
Rivers United emerged 2021/2022 NPFL winners in clinical fashion, amassing a record-setting 74 points , shattering their 2011 71 points record.
Eguma’s men were hugely rewarded by a delighted Governor, Barrister Nyesom Ezewo Wike, who gifted each player of the triumphant team $20, 000.
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Wike did not stop at that. He approved and announced a two-week preseason camping for the team in Madrid, with program at the Laliga giants, Real Madrid.
The preseason camping in Europe, Wike said during a State reception for the squad, was to adequately prepare the Rivers United for the CAF Champions League campaign next season and promised to reward each of the players with $40,000 if they reach the Group Stage of the continent’s most glamourous interclub competition.
As Rivers United prepare for the Madrid trip, Eguma tells Completesports that they are condemned to match the Governor’s mandate and expectation.
“We’re preparing for the trip to Spain for our preseason training camp,” Eguma told Completesports.com Thursday.
“You Know, it’s said, ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’. We’re grateful to the Governor for motivating the team to victory in the NPFL.
“He made sure we lacked absolutely nothing in terms of welfare and inspiration.
“We’re also eternally happy and grateful to him for the reward he gave the team, players, coaches and officials.
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“Above all, he has set the tonic for us to excel in the continent next year by approving a preseason training camp for us in Spain and it’s our utmost ambition to make the most of the opportunity in order to do well in the Champions League and make him happy, as well as the people of the state and Nigerians in general”.
Eguma added: “Right now, we’re engrossed in the preparation for the Spain trip.
“I don’t know how many players that would make the trip. It depends on the sponsors – Rivers State Government, that is how many players they would approve for us.
“We are pushing for the travel documents, visas. Of course, the trip won’t be this month, July, because it’s already ending.
“I don’t know the specific date yet, but certainly, it will be next month, August, so that we would be back on time to face the continental and domestic challenges”.
On Tuesday, the League Management Company, LMC, organisers of the Nigerian top flight, announced September 24 as the date for the start of 2022/2023 NPFL.
27 Comments
God bless Gov Wike for bringing back the memories of the great Uzor Kalu.
Well said brotherman Chima. Cash incentive is a good start. At least he is doing something positive.
Heaven bless Governor Wike and all deserving state governors with deep pockets. Lolzzzz ZA Zip!
Sure!!! Gov. Wike’s effort is commendable. Rivers united needs to beef up their technical crew, to accomodate Coach egumas difficiency. Then the expected result will now be visible for all. Wike should not stop at motivating or providing money only.my opinion though.
You get $20k for winning the season-long 38 matchday NPFL, but get $40k for winning 3 rounds of home and away knockout matches to reach the group stages of the CAF CL.
That summarizes the struggle of NPFL teams on the continent and further amplifies questions on the quality of the league itself.
Yet some people will wanna equate this same league in 2022 to the one that was producing regional and continental finalists/champions every year for 10 straight years in the mid 80s to the mid 90s.
Meanwhile kudos to Gov. Wike for the cash splash….but just a word of caution, not every problem gets solved by merely throwing money at it.
Brilliant piece. Can’t question this THOUGHT PROVOKING comment!
Definitely way below what we experienced between the 1980s to mid 2000s
I recall with nostalgia great matches featuring LEVENTIS UTD, ABIOLA BABES, BCC LIONS, IICC, RANGERS, RANCHERS BEES, IBL ILESA, JIB ROCK STRIKERS, JOS HIGHLANDERS, STATIONERY STORES, ACB, NNB, FLASH FLAMINGOS, BENDEL INSURANCE, BON, ASESA WARRIORS, BBL HAWKS, CALABAR ROVERS, etc in the 80s brimming with great local talents like RASHIDI YEKINI, JOE ASHINZE, TOYIN AYINLA, DOMINC IORFA, DOTUN ALATISHE, SAMSON OZUGULA, IKE SHORUNMU, COLLINS EBITIMI, OJOKOJO TORUNARIGHA, DAHIRY SADI, UWEM EKARIKA, JOHN ENE OKON, ETIM ESIN, KABIRU BALERIA, AYO OGUNKANA, AHAM NWANKWO, AMIR ANGWE, ALI NAYARA, SALISU YUSUF, DAVID NWAGANA, TARILA OKORONWATA, FELIX OWOLABI, TAJU OYEKANMI, CHUKWU NDUKWE,ISAAC SEMITOJE, NDUBUIISI OKOSIEMI, BRIGHT OMOKARO, SUNDAY EGBOIGBE, TAIWO OLOYEDE, JESUS NDONGO ( doubt he’s Nigerian) etc
Jesus Ndongo is from Equitorial Guinea
I thought he was from Nazareth.
Yes, Ndongo is from Equotorial Guinea, he played for my team (Stationery Stores of lagos) under coach Ofuokwu then, and was a good friend of mine. How time flies.
Wow…nice one
I still have a copy of the first ever edition of COMPLETE FOOTBALL Magazine printed in 1986 with JESUS NDONGO being challenged by another player on the cover page! He was wearing a SKYBLUE long sleeve jersey top on same pant colour!
My team was RACCAH ROVERS of Kano before the birth of Ranchers Bees!
Thanks @GREENTURF…Glad people of our generation with great memories here.
Honestly, successive leadership FAILS the bane of almost every facet of Nigeria.
Imagine female football that started in Nigeria with likes of OKUNWA IGUNBOR, LOVE OMO BRANCH, FLORENCE OMAGBEMI, BLESSING YAMALA etc yet SOUTH AFRICA dominated our representative in the WOMEN Champions League!
Today, I can hardly mention a name let alone identify an NPLF player.
I could list out the names of IICC, STORES, IWUAYANWU, RANCHERS BEES, BCC LIONS, JULIUS BERGER, etc first eleven in those days
Hmmmm….. those are names….Gone were those days…
VICTOR OGUNSANYA, MOSES AND TERFA KPAKOR, TOYIN AYINLA, OSARO OBOBAIFO, ADEMOLA ADESINA, AUSTIN IGBINABARO, YISA SOFOLUWE, GODWIN EKE, FRIDAY ELAIHO, HERBERT ANIJEKWU, JOHN BENSON AND EDWARD ANSAH OF GHANA, and many others.
Nigerians preferred our local league to foreign leagues back then, because it was SO ENTERTAINING.
HUMPHREY EDOBOR, HENRY NWOSU, FRIDAY EKPO, THOMPSON OLIHA, PETER NIEKETIEN, MATTHEW ONYEAMA, SAM PAM, ANDREW UWE, WOLE ODEGBAMI, SUNDAY DANIEL. Dropping a few more names.
Funny enough, as talented as these generation of players was, it took a while before they finally qualified for the world cup. Many of them never got to showcase their skills at the mundial.
Hehehehe…pls keep it rolling bro…wow, making me teary now. How did we miss it and found ourselves where we are today??
A good way to start but football is a process which requires consistency, patience,deep planning and emotional support, money is good,very good but without the afromentioned requirements the game loses its soul(even the club as well) so nice one from Gov. Wike,btw our league needs sponsors that are as generous. Tnx
Mahmud Shuaib taking us down memory lane. Those were the days. I remember MATCH OF THE WEEK with much nostalgia. Back then, when home based players were called up to the SE, there was no argument. Quality league, quality players.
You are spot on right there @Pompei! Super quality league with quality players!
Talk about Uwem EKARIKA, Friday Christopher, Edema Fuludu, Bethel ORJI, Benjamin Ugwu Surugede, Shobayo Adeshina, TAIWO Enegwa, Bala Ali, Raymond King, Sam Addingi, Benjy Nzeakor, Arthur Moses, Bolaji Douglas, Sam Elijah, Oladuni Oyekale, Terfa Apurugh, AMAECHI Otiji, David Ngodigha, Muzambilu Aliu, SALISU Nakande, Tanimu Makama, Folorunsho Okenla…the list is endless
When IICC, Rangers, LEVENTIS and later Stores, IWUAYANWU, Julius Berger, ENYIMBA used to consistently make the latter stages of CAF Champions Lge and the likes of Ranchers Bees, BCC held sway in the defunct AFRICA Winners cup while Bendel INSURANCE, NNB were kings of WAFU cup!
Pompei, don’t forget Bunmi Adigun, mike Obiku ,mike Odu, Samson Siasia before he went pro.
Nice one, SunnyB. I also remember Benji “skill workshop” Nzeakor, Wilfred Agbonavbare, Edema Fuludu, Bolaji Douglas. Great memories.
Pompei, do you remember Akinwunmi Akinsehinde, Duke Udi, Eddy Domnbraye, Isaac Semitoje, Friday Elahor, Babanide Oguntuwase, Elderson Echiejile, Manga Mohammed, Patrick Pascal,Moses Kapoor, Bobolayefa Edon, Ganiyu Oseni and Lucky Agbonsevbafe?
We also had Angus Ikeji, Sani Adamu, Samuel Elija and Hilary Adiki
Woooooww ..I love you bro! Didn’t get to your comment when I dropped some of those names under one of your comments I responded to a while ago!
You are truly a LOCAL LEAGUE LEGEND in your own right. These are not names one can easily GOOGLE if never KNEW them before hand. ***Applause**
Let me do some more..Henry Nwosu, James Etokebe, Ikpomwosa Omoriege, Sani Adamu, Monday Agnontan, Monday Osagie, Ganiyu Ajide, Abdul AMINU, Abdul Sule, IFEANYIN Aghenu, Ikem Udeh (Udoji UTD), CHARLES Nduka (Udoji skipper always clean), Sam Nwobum, Chimezie NWAGANA (a Rangers legend), Mumuni Kelani, Ogbein Fawole, Mojeed Azeez, Monsuro Adagunduro, MUSA Aliyu Kalala, Golden Ajeboh, Malik Taofik, Bolaji Harris, Duke Udi, ….
Mike Obiku got a lucrative deal with FEYEERNORD in Holland but never got an Eagles look in, nothanks to gangling YEKINI
Mike Odu a good defensive midfielder with Flash Flamingo
Bunmi Adigun captained the all conquering LEVENTIS UTD of 1984-1985
Nice one @SUNNY
I remember how the likes of Patrick Pascal, Gbenga Okunowo, Abiodun Baruwa, Ajibade Babalade and the rest held their own against Zamalek of Egypt in the 1995 CAF Champions League final. The Eyimba generation of 2003 and 3004 was also awesome. But my favourite of them all was Tarila Okoronwanta. Stubbornness wouldn’t allow him to flourish much though
You most definitely are a life long supporter of the great UP SOOTING ..lol (apologies to BABA ELERAN of Ibadan)
GBENGA Okunowo’s penalty miss gifted Zamalek the cup after both legs ended square.
Duke UDI was also in that squad and like the original ENFANTE TERRIBLE of Nigeria football TARILA OKORONWATA; he too didn’t achieve more despite his stupendous skills due to his attitude.
Tarila was super good. Like Etim ESIN another magician. Their attitudes deprived the world of their supreme talents
That 95 3SC crop also had Patrick Ovie, Olumide Harris, David Aigbovo, etc
@SD Delivery..nice one.
Agbonsevbafe the 1985 safe hands
Bobolayefa Edon was the left back of that 1989 squad I missed out by failing to scale through the NORTH screening exercises that produced PATRICK MANCHA, JOHN AGOM, JOHN ZAKI, BALA BOYI and PRECIOUS MONYE ONYEABOR among others
AKINWUNMI Akinsehinde was a 2 seasons strike wonder with 3SC then
Angus Ikeji and Sam Elijah were illustrous members of Saudi 89 Flying Eagles
Ganiyu Oseni is a kid of yesterday… our indomie forumites here should know him
What about the longest capped NPFL player Victor Ezeji?
You are right.