By KATE OBODO
Following the lack of sponsorship in the Nigerian Premier League, NPL, former Super Falcons coach Paul Hamilton has called on Nigerians not to write-off the  NPL even as he believes  effort is on to secure sponsors.

According to him, the NPL is like other leagues in the world and it has helped improve the national team tremendously despite the absence of sponsors.

“We have a league that is fairly on, but if you ask me from another angle, whether we have sponsorship, I will say no.

We do not have but efforts have been made for us to have sponsors. Our league is like other leagues in the world. If you look at what is happening in terms of players performances in our national teams like the Under-23, the products of our  league are there and they are performing well. So one can not say we do not have a good league. We also have good organization despite the crisis that has engulfed the NPL.

Though in some states the issue of bad pitches still speaks volumes but efforts have been made to ensure that the pitches are okay for our league matches.

Continuing Hamilton said: “The only thing that the NPL needs to do is to ensure that there are sponsors so that the players will be well paid. We are praying that they work hard for that dream to be realized,” he said

Crown FC battle ready for Ocean Boys – Oyeleye

After last Wednesday’s trailer accident along Osogbo-IIesha road on their way to honour the Week 29 match against Dolphin FC, Media Officer of Crown FC of Ogbomosho, Kunle Oyeleye has said that they are prepared to take on Ocean Boys of Yenagoa in Sunday’s encounter at Ilaro.

“We are preparing very hard for our next game against Oceans Boys at home on Sunday. And as it is now, the players are getting well. Our bus that was badly damaged has been fitted. So we are getting prepared for the game against Ocean Boys on Sunday and we hope to defeat them to further consolidate our position on the league table.

“We have 35 registered players but we only travelled with 18 players. That means we still have some players that can powerfully prosecute Sunday’ game. Though some of the players that went with us for that match are now out of the hospital, they are at home and placed on intensive care.

We still have some of them that were not seriously injured. For those that are to play the match, we have already boosted them monetarily and we hope to get a good result at the end of the game,” Oyeleye said.

Rangers promise to beat Pillars for Gov Chime

Acting captain of Rangers Football Club of Enugu, Ebele Obi has promised the State governor  Sullivan Chime that they(team) will defeat Kano Pillars when both sides meet at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on Sunday.

With three away wins, Obi said they are desperate to win more, even as he believes they will not settle for less at home.
“I’m promising the state governor that we are going to beat sharks and beg our supporters to continue to support us, because will not disappoint them,” he said.

The acting captain of the team revealed to Inside Out Premier League that “Our three away wins was as a result of our togetherness and dedication. This came at the time when the state government approved the sign on fees for last season and this season. I think with more motivation, the team will blow off the sky.

The fact that we were not being paid before now was also a plus for the team. This shows that Rangers are good. Now that the governor has approved our sign-on-fees, we will do greater things in our subsequent games,” he said.