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Monday, May 20, 2013

SHARKS 1-0 SUNSHINE STARS

The Blue Angels' manager, Gbenga Ogunbote rubbed salt on the aspirations of his erstwhile club and their quest to be among the top clubs with a precious home win meant to ease their relegation worries.

Chibuzor Osigwe's solitary strike in the early part of the second half guaranteed all points in a tie the Akure Gunners sat at the back for most of the game for reasons best known to them.

Sunshine are now in 10th position from 13 fixtures despite an impressive start to the season. They have 18 points while Sharks are 18th from 13 games with 14 points to show for their efforts.

After returning empty handed from their last two consecutive away ties, the Akure Gunners will host Heartland of Owerri Wednesday in the unarguably the star match of the week while Sharks are travelling to meet El Kanemi Warriors.

GOMBE UNITED 1-0 EL KANEMI WARRIORS

The Desert Scorpions scooped another three points and made it six from two home clashes after pipping El Kanemi Warriors 1-0 at the Pantami Stadium, Gombe.

Sani Modu's lone goal was good enough to catapult Gombe United to the third spot on the table by the virtue of their near invincibility at home. They have 21 points from seven home games to claim their current position on the log from 13 games while El Kanemi are in 17th position with 15 points from the same number of games.

Based on their away form this season,Gombe United will struggle to get anything out of their road trip to Port Harcourt as guests of Dolphins while El Kanemi will welcome Sharks in their matchday 14 tie.

KWARA UNITED 1-1 DOLPHINS

The Afonja Warriors dropped two precious home points in Ilorin on Sunday after allowing the Port Harcourt dwellers to sneak an important draw at the Kwara State Sports Complex. Coach Samson Unuanel and his wards couldn't get the vital second goal to guarantee all points after Yahaya Adamu put them at the driver's seat but they allowed Dolphins to claw their way back into the game through Fred Okwara who got the leveller to the delight of club gaffer Stanley Eguma. Kwara United have a big task on their hands to keep themselves in the top 10 this midweek with a trip to Katsina Ala as visitors of Lobi Stars while Dolphins will seek consolidation with a home duel against bad travellers Gombe United. Kwara United are seventh after 13 matches with 19 points while Dolphins are 12th with 18 points from same matches.

WARRI WOLVES 2-1 KANO PILLARS

The Seasiders are steadily finding their way to the top of the table after their unimpressive start to the season following an important 2-1home win over floundering reigning defending champions, Pillars at the Warri City Stadium on Sunday. Two quick first half goals from Oghenekaro Etebo (who netted his sixth goal of the season) and Joseph Osadaiye in the sixth and 13th minutes respectively confined the Kano club to their third consecutive road loss and four overall this season. Significantly, it was a halt to the heavy defeats suffered in Enugu (0-4) and Aba (0-3) against Rangers and Enyimba. Pillars however woke up in the second half and got a deserved goal through Kabiru Umar in the 80th minute but Warri Wolves kept their nerves to hang on to that vital win. Warri Wolves are 11th with 18 points from 13 encounters while Pillars are second with 22 points with a game less. Pillars could return to the top again this midweek if they get a routine three points at home to Kaduna United but Warri Wolves must make a long road trip to Bauchi to slug it out with Wikki Tourists.

ENYIMBA 2-0 BAYELSA UNITED

The Peoples Elephant's renaissance at home continued Sunday at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba after the club stopped the Yenagoa side 2-0 through a top class first half performance.

Bayelsa United who were second on the log prior to the tie could have jumped to the top with an unlikely win but all permutations about their top spot dreams evaporated before halftime after goals from Ayo Saka and Sibi Gwar in the 27th and 31st minutes. Saka provided the assist for Gwar's second goal as the latter took his tally to five in the league this season.

Enyimba are back in the top half based on the win. They have 19 points from 13 games to be placed sixth while Bayelsa United dropped to fifth with 20 points.

The Aba giants will seek an end to their away misery when they make a short dash to Uyo as guest of Akwa United this mid week while Bayelsa United are at home in the Yenagoa derby against neighbours Nembe City at the Samson Siasia Stadium.

HEARTLAND 1-0 ABS

For the first time in almost three years the city of Owerri was agog again over their darling club's rise to the summit of the premier league after a hard earned 1-0 win over hard fighting ABS at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Sunday evening.

A delightful free kick converted by Amarachi Ukaegbu from a good pass from Ikechukwu Ibenegbu in the 34th minute of the encounter was all the Naze Millionaires needed to stage a return to the pinnacle of the league for the first time in recent years.

It was a follow up to the feat recorded in Ibadan where Heartland against all odds outwitted 3SC 2-0 at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba last Wednesday.

The defeat meant that the Ilorin outfit has slipped to the bottom of the table and must do everything fast in their next home tie against Enugu Rangers on Wednesday. An outright win is non-negotiable for the privately owned club.

Heartland have a big task of their own if they want to retain their place at the top when they visit Sunshine Stars of Akure this Wednesday. If they secure another unlikely win, they are going to remain at the top. Heartland are currently on 22 points from 12 games, same as Kano Pillars but they are on top by virtue of their better goals difference while ABS are at the wrong end of the table with 13 points from 13 encounters to place 19th.

Ahmed Musa's CSKA crowned Russian champions

Ahmed Musa's club CSKA Moscow have been crowned the champions of Russia thanks to a 0-0 draw with Kuban Krasnodar on Friday.It's Musa's first championship title in Europe. The capital giants could only play out a stalemate against the Europa League hopefuls, but Zenit St Petersburg side cannot now claim a third straight title having accrued too few victories in comparison to Leonid Slutsky's men with just two matches to spare.

Their coach, who was appointed as Juande Ramos' successor at the back end of 2009, was quick to pay tribute to the club's fans in the wake of their Russian Premier League success.

"This is my first title so it's hard to describe how I feel," the midfielder told NTV Plus. "I can't describe it. Just happiness. The only problem was that we couldn't score, although we came close several times."This weekend's title triumph was the 11th in CSKA's history and their first since 2006.

Ancelotti has pre-contract with Madrid, says Al-Khelaifi

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi believes that head coach Carlo Ancelotti has already sealed a pre-contract with Real Madrid. Ancelotti has told PSG that he wants to leave the club for Madrid this summer, but the French giants have no intention of letting go of the 53-year-old without significant compensation. "I think that he already has a pre-contract with Real Madrid," Al-Khelaifi told Al Jazeera. "But I do not expect Madrid to have him sign a contract for now. They will be in legal trouble if they do that. "I have told Carlo that he has an ongoing contract with us. He demanded a contract extension back in March, but Madrid have now come up. "All we are doing is respect our principles and the contract we have with Carlo. We honour our commitments. "There are solutions for everyone who wants to break a contract. Negotiations will have to take place to make sure everything goes smoothly." Ancelotti has been in charge of PSG since December 2011 and guided them to their first Ligue 1 title since 1995.