Enyimba FC beat Kano Pillars to win NPFL pre-season football tournament
(Nigeria) Enyimba International FC of Aba on Tuesday won the
2013/2014 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL pre-season football
tournament.
Enyimba, who defeated the NPFL defending Champions, Kano
Pillars by a lone goal, smiled home with a giant trophy and a cash reward of
N1.5 million.
The winner, who finished the tournament on nine points, did
not concede any goal in the three matches played in the tournament.
Enyimba had earlier defeated Warri Wolves and Bayelsa United
2-0 and 3-0 respectively. It beat Kano Pillars by a lone goal to carry the
trophy.
Warri Wolves finished second on the log with six points.
Wolves, which suffered 2-0 and 2-1 defeats to league
champions and Bayelsa United respectively; however went home with cash prize of
one million naira.
However, it was not a good outing for league champions, Kano
Pillars as they managed to finish third on the log after recording a 2-1 win
over Bayelsa United.
Pillars, however pocketed N750, 000 in spite recording only
one win in the tournament, while Bayelsa finished the tournament on the fourth
place after losing their three matches.
They, however, went home with N500,000.
The head coach of Enyimba, Zachary Baraje, said the win
would spur the team in its first Confederation of African Football, CAF,
champion’s league match against Anges De Notse of Togo.
``I am now going to concentrate on my final preparation
towards the continental match on Feb. 9, am looking forward to entering new
season on a good note’’, Baraje said.
He said that the pre-season tour as well as the encounter
with the Togolese club would prepare the team for its first NPFL encounter away
to Nasarawa United.
``We will be working towards not only winning our home
matches, but also at away, like I did with El-Kanemi Warriors last season. This,
however, depends on if we get good officiating’’, he added.
The Chief Operating Officer, COO of the LMC, Salihu
Abubakar, said the conclusion of the pre-season tournament was an indication
that the new league season was around the corner.
Abubakar said the LMC would follow-up the pre-season
tournament and workshop with the inspection of 17 stadia expected to host the
NPFL matches.
According to him, clubs would be made to lose their home
ground for league encounters if it failed to meet LMC standard.
The tournament was organised by the League Management
Company, LMC and was played at the National Stadium in Abuja.
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