Nigeria’s best read Newspaper, Vanguard will today at the National Stadium in Lagos, battle SportsDay in the soccer final of the 2014 NUJ/Med View Games.

The Kirikiri Warriors, as the Vanguard are called by their teeming and vociferous fans around the media world, have been playing the best football ever seen at this  edition of the NUJ Games, which in turn has made them the clear favourites to pick the mother of all gold medals.

SportsDay are the defending champions of the competition.

Group Photograph Vanguard’s Kirikiri Warriors during NUJ Media Games 2014, held at the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos. photo; Akeem Salau

And after romping into today’s final, courtesy of two wins against Lagos Information and Tell Magazine, yesterday, the Kirikiri Warriors say they are battle-ready to scoop the gold.

With an array of talented youngsters in their squad, Vanguard’s Kirikiri Warriors boast of the most compact and effective team in the ongoing competition.

Parading the likes of captain  fantastic in goal, Joseph Sunday, who has made breathtaking saves to deny Vanguard’s opponents goals in previous matches, to prolific striker, Eghagbaifo Orowemru, who has banged in three goals in the competition, the Vanguard squad reek of star quality, a fact that has catapulted them to the final.

The likes of Yesun Esumaje, Lucky Enuesike, Marrtins Obigho, Onyebuchi Herbert, Ebrugba Emmanuel, Godspower Mark, John Ofuyaekpone, Akeem Salau, Monday Emakoleyi, Sunday Win and midfield powerhouse Kenneth Ehigiator are all within torching distance of writing their names in the golden history of the NUJ media Games.

A tip of what to expect today was shown by the Kirikiri Warriors during yesterday’s quarter-final and semifinal matches against Lagos Information and Tell respectively.

In the pulsating encounter with Lagos Information, Vanguard held their nerves to win 3-2 on penalties, after the match had ended goalless in regulation time. It took the cat-like saves of goalkeeper Sunday to send the Kirikiri Warriors into the penultimate round, where they faced Tell, in another mouth-watering duel, that saw the magazine boys winning 2-0.

But sensing foul play in the manner of the defeat,  Vanguard protested  to the organising committee that Tell used ineligible players to defeat them. After an exhaustive probe, the organisers found out that Tell  truly used mercenaries to aid their victory over Vanguard.

Tell were duly punished for breaching the rules of competition, with Vanguard being awarded the full points and three goals and a place in today’s grand finale.

The Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium, venue of the match would witness media bigwigs from Vanguard. Already, Deputy Editor Eze Anaba charged Newsroom to transfer to National Stadium to chant down SportsDay and bring back the trophy to Kirikiri.

With Innocent Anaba, Prince Osuagwu propelling the Warriors with double bonus, SportsDay would no doubt be added to the list of Vanguard’s casualties