Nigeria Content Online

Yesterday’s 3-0
victory over Bauchi State hockey team has further boosted the chances
of high riding Yobe Flickers playing in the final of the IEI National
Hockey League which comes up in July at the Abuja National Stadium.

The Yobe Boys thus
became the first team to get nearer one of the four slots up for grabs
in the Savannah Assembly having garnered the maximum points in three
matches played so far.

The team is on top of the league table with six goals difference following their victories over Katsina and Plateau.

One of the team’s
goal-scorers; Clinton Nwagbara, who scored the second goal from a well
executed penalty corner said they are looking forward to officially
booking their place in the final by beating Nagwamase of Niger in their
fourth game today.

“We will take the
match against Nagwamase very serious because once we take the three
points there no one can stop us from playing in Abuja again” he said.

Speaking in the
same vein, his coach, Tasiu Muhammed, said he is impressed with his
wards for living up to pre-tournament assessment. In one of the other
matches of the day, Niger State male team kept up its goal scoring
frenzy by scoring eight times against ‘whipping boys,’ Nasarawa State.

It is their second
game in the league and they have scored 16 goals, making their next
match against FCT Abuja, which needs a win to stay afloat an
interesting one today. Meanwhile, Nasarawa may just be on its way-out
of the tournament as it is yet to garner any point from three matches.

Assessment

While the male
teams have been impressive, the women’s teams have not measured up at
least in the reckoning of tournament technical director, Atanda Fatai.

Atanda who says he
has not been impressed with the women teams, said: “While the men teams
have been fantastic I don’t like what I am seeing in the female event.
I see a good number of players that are well past their prime and no
replacement from the younger ones. It is not good for the game.”

He added that the national final in Abuja would be very fierce in
the male event judging from the quality of play exhibited Kaduna The
League continues today with seven matches; five in the male event and
two in the female.