IDEYE EXPRESSES JOY AT BROWN IDEYE CHALLENGE SUCCESS

Sponsor of the Brown Ideye Challenge, Brown Ideye says the maiden edition of the competition has exceeded his expectations.

Speaking after the Final match at the weekend, Brown Ideye revealed that it gave him extreme pleasure watching the determination and happiness on the faces of the players and officials as they jostled for the trophy.

Ideye told the press that when the idea of the tournament was conceived he never expected such success at the maiden edition.

Brown Ideye Challenge Photo credit: Carl Orakwue ‏@pointmancarl

Seeing those boys play today it really touched me a lot because I have been through that road before and I know how it is.

I will say it is a thing of joy seeing them play and having fun.

When I had this plan with China Acheru about a year back, really I didn’t know it could be this successful. I am really happy about it.

The Super Eagles forward is of the opinion that more tournaments of this nature should be organized regularly to help groom talented players, many of which today are not given any opportunity.

Today I saw some wonderful players and I would say if we can have these tournaments regularly it would boost the boys’ morale and it would help them grow.

So I would say it is important to have a tournament like this every year.

Brown Ideye
photo credit: Олег Дубина
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

Ideye went on to reveal that he planned to make the Brown Ideye Challenge a bi-annual event saying he would be open to sponsors and partners joining hands with him, to help lift football at the grassroots.

A&B Academy emerged champions of the maiden edition of the Brown Ideye Challenge after they beat Garden City Panthers 2:1 in a thrilling final played at the University of Port Harcourt Sports Complex.

Garden City Academy of Sports finished in third place after emerging victorious over Academy Football SKE whom they beat by a lone goal to win the loser’s final.

AWOBA’S FAIRY TALE RUN AT THE BROWN IDEYE CHALLENGE ENDS

Village boys Awoba Stars came to the end of the road after they were beaten 3:0 by A&B Academy in a quarter final match at the Brown Ideye Challenge.

A brace from Ezekiel Oroh and a goal from Sampson Iroka put an end to the dreams of the boys from Bille to claim silverware in Port Harcourt.

Coach of Awoba Stars, Bruce Balafama speaking to the press at the end of the game put forward a host of reasons why his side was not able to win the match.

I don’t know where to start from. The boys lost concentration and refused to play to instruction. We used to come together from the creeks but there was not enough money. We didn’t come together as one again, some of them came from Port Harcourt while some others came from home that was also one of the problems.

On his part Remi Onifade of A&B Academy informed the press that his side was able to beat the much fancied Awoba Stars because they did their homework on the team.

Before the match we already had information that they were a more physical side. So coming into the match we had to strategize and we knew by getting more possession, we will deny them of the ball and that really paid off. Tactically we are a sounder team than they are.

In the second quarterfinal game, it took penalties to separate Garden City Academy of Sports and Gold Kings Soccer Academy after both teams were tied one all at the end of regulation time.

Wohoruche Victor’s 73rd minute goal for Gold Kings Soccer Academy canceled out Pedro Dauphins earlier strike for Garden City Academy of Sports and matters remained level until the very end.

Garden City Academy eventually went on to secure the semi-final ticket after they triumphed 4:2 on penalties.

Garden City Academy Coach, Obi Mobility acknowledged it was indeed a difficult encounter but revealed he was always sure his side would emerge tops at the end of the day.

First and foremost I give God the glory because without him we can do nothing. At the start of the game the tension was so high and both teams were playing ok. When we started missing lots of chances I still had the courage to tell them not to lose hope that we could still win the tie.

Brown Ideye Challenge Photo credit: Carl Orakwue ‏@pointmancarl

Gold Kings Soccer Academy didn’t hide their disappointment at their failure to scale through and Coach Clarkson Agi said it was only natural for his side to feel disappointed.

Every loser must be disappointed. At least my boys gave a good fight even if we failed to win the game. It’s a game of football anybody can win. Let’s hope that if it didn’t favor us today another day we’ll go back and come back in full force.

Tuesday will see the last to quarterfinal matches played when Garden City Panthers play MCW Jeff Soccer Academy by 1pm and Police Machine trades tackles with Academy Soccer SKE by 3pm.

Academy Football SKE Cruise Quarter-Finals Of Brown Ideye Challenge

Academy Football SKE of Portharcourt progressed to the quarter-finals in the ongoing Brown Ideye Challenge Competition in a dramatic fashion despite losing two nil to their opponent Garden City Panthers. Coach
Gabriel Nwiyara rested five key players that took part in the last game against Fountain FC.

Academy Football SKE started the game on a jittery note as Garden City Panthers dominated the early stages of the game. Panthers had a glorious opportunity in the 17th minute to be in front when their striker shot wide in front of goalie John Agwu.

Garden City Panthers were awarded a penalty in the 30th minute when defender John Ogbokuma upended his marker in his box. The penalty kick was blown over the bar by their attacker. Panthers exhibited some scintillating football as they came close to break the deadlock in the 37th minute but a last ditch clearance by defender Gambo Musa prevented Panthers from taking the lead.

Garden City Panthers scored the opener in the 40th minute courtesy of Ebiegberi Jephter following a lose ball by goalie John Agwu as the striker made no mistake to slam the ball inside an empty net. Academy Football SKE failed to hit any shot on target in the first half.

Garden City Panthers continued to dominate proceedings upon resumption of the second half hostilities.

Academy Football SKE
photo credit: Academy Football SKE Portharcourt

Defender Gambo Musa was the hero for Academy Football SKE as he made yet another goal line clearance in the
52nd minute. Coach Nwiyara made some substitutions as some key players were thrown into the fray. The best opportunity for Academy Football SKE came in the 76th minute when winger Kimi Jeremiah skipped past his
marker to find Anthony Obia but the goal keeper came to the rescue to punch the ball out.

The damage was completed in the 90+3 minute when striker Ikechukwu Nwafor beat the offside trap to tap the ball inside the net as his side ran out victorious by two goals to nil. Despite the defeat, Academy Football SKE scaled through to the next round of the tourney as runners-up to Garden City Panthers who topped the pile in Group C with nine points and a healthy goals difference of plus eleven.

Academy Football SKE finished with nine points and a plus five goals difference ahead of Fountain FC who had same number of points but a plus four goal difference.

BROWN IDEYE CHALLENGE: IROKA HAT TRICK BOOKS A&B QUARTER FINAL TICKET

Samson Iroka scored a hat trick as A & B Football Academy romped to a 4:0 win against FC Ghanaman and Friends in Group B of the Brown Ideye Challenge.

Both sides went into the fixture knowing a win guaranteed them passage to the knock out stages and as such it was an ill-tempered match.

Ghanaman and Friends had a player sent of mid-way into the second half and the referee also had to send to the stands from the bench the team’s Coach for the day, Victor Kwame Sampong (also known as Ghana man) and a substitute player, for altercations with the assistant referee.

The victory for A&B Academy meant they finished the group stages with 7pts and as such they qualified for the quarter finals from Group B in second place to Garden City Academy of Sports who topped the group with 10pts.

Grden City Academy of Sports were 2:1 winners over Ajagun Soccer Academy in their final game of the group.

Brown Ideye Challenge Photo credit: Carl Orakwue ‏@pointmancarl

Final GROUP B Standing

TEAM P W D L GS GA AG PTS
G C A S 4 3 1 0 7 1 6 10
A & B 4 2 1 1 7 2 5 7
Ghanaman 4 2 0 2 3 8 -5 6
Amphibious 4 0 3 1 2 3 -1 3
Ajagun S A 4 0 2 2 2 7 -5 1

Results

Ghanaman 0-4 A & B Academy
(Ejaita Ifoni, Sampson Iroka X 3)

Ajagun Soccer Academy 1-2 Garden City Academy of Sports

(James Chidebe 40′ – Naboye George 36′ Okonkwo Obinna 75′)

WEDNSDAYS FIXTURES

SKE Stars Vs Garden City Panthers
Fountain FC Vs Rivers UTD Academy

BROWN IDEYE CHALLENGE: MCW JEFF ACADEMY HAMMER BENEDI UTD

Mcw Jeff Soccer Academy made up for their opening game loss to Police Machine in Group D, with a 5:0 hammering of Benedi Utd on Tuesday at the Brown Ideye Challenge in Port Harcourt.

Mcw Jef had lost their first game of the group by three goals to nothing against Police Machine in a game which shocked pundits who had expected an evenly contested affair. In a bid to redeem their image, a blistering start from Mcw Jeff saw Muri Saka netting the first of his goals of the day in the 8th minute.

The first half ended with just the lone goal but with Benedi capitulating towards the closing stages of the second half, Saka scored an additional two goals as his side netted four goals in 9 minutes to embarrass Benedi 5:0.

Coach Ndubuisi Ihejirika of Mcw Jeff informed the media that he had gone home after the loss on the opening day and done his homework which had thus translated into a heavy victory against Benedi Utd.

“If you could remember the last time we lost against Police Machine I promised we were going home for more home-work and if you really watched, we were really optimistic to achieve our aims today. That is the reason we got this victory today.Losing to police does not mean we are not good enough. With this victory we would move ahead.”

Brown Ideye Challenge Photo credit: Carl Orakwue ‏@pointmancarl

Enoh Okon of Benedi utd revealed in a post-match interview that injuries and the absence of some suspended players due to an accumulation of cards was chiefly responsible for his side’s inability to play well on the day.

“I think our problem started with the cards we picked up in our last match. Our chief midfielder and our left full back were not here. We also had some injuries and you know the limited number of players we were allowed to register for the tournament is twenty. Also in the game proper we failed to relax and the boys panicked and I don’t know why.”

The group’s other game saw Police Machine beat Port Harcourt City Academy 2:1

Today will see Rumuowha play against Gold Kings by 2pm while the game involving Awoba vs Citadel follows immediately by 4pm.

BROWN IDEYE CHALLENGE: RIVERS UTD ACADEMY YET TO DISPLAY FULL POTENTIAL-COACH

Coach of Rivers Utd Football academy, Sunny Iseokwehma says he is not happy with the display put up by his young side so far at the Brown Ideye Challenge. Rivers Utd Academy lost their second group game of the tournament when they fell 2:0 to Garden City Panthers on Monday.

A goal in each half by the Panthers meant the Rivers State sponsored Academy would need everything to go their way in the last two games, if it is to qualify from Group C.

The Rivers Utd Football Academy is made up of youngsters trying to break into the senior Rivers Utd side and Coach Iseokwehma says he is surprised that the talent he knows is possessed by his players have not so far been displayed at the tournament.

I am not happy. Not unhappy because I am losing but because the boys are not playing to their potential. That is where I am feeling so bad. I am so disappointed that is why I cannot talk to them at the moment because I know they can do more than what they are doing.

Asked what he thought the reason must be for his side being yet to find their rhythm, Iseokwehma says one of the possibility could be the playing turf which cannot be compared to the synthetic turf at the Sharks Stadium where his boys train.

I don’t know if the field as well is giving them problems but like I told them after the first match, in Nigeria you might not play every match in a Sharks kind of stadium so you should also expect things like this. So if you are expecting to become the best player possible, you shouldn’t have to select the pitch you play but be able to play on any pitch.

The Rivers Utd Academy boss is however of the opinion that even if his team fails to make it to the knockout stages he has succeeded in exposing the boys to the rigors of a competitive atmosphere which he beliefs is indeed beneficial to the lads.

Brown Ideye Challenge Photo credit: Carl Orakwue ‏@pointmancarl

First and foremost why this competition is good for me is that it is like a student who reads every day and is not writing exams and If you are not writing exams, then you are not being assessed and if so, you will not know your progress. Opportunities and competitions like this will expose players to match rigors. There is a difference between training and training without playing in competitions. So if not any other thing, this competition has helped expose players that are under me.

Monday’s other game saw Fountain FC walk over Jike Stars who failed to turn up for their 2pm schedule. Fountain FC were thus awarded 3 points and 3 goals.

Tuesday will see action in Group D where Police Machine FC will play Port Harcourt City by 2pm and Benedi FC engages MCW Jeff soccer Academy by 4pm.

BROWN IDEYE CHALLENGE: RUMUOWHA KNOCKED OUT

Rumuowha FC lost their third match in Group A of the Brown Ideye Challenge as they fell 1:3 to Citadel FC on Friday.

First half goals from Leo Ofon, Lawson Viera and a second half strike from Maurice Chukwu for Citadel meant Chinedu Owhor’s late strike for Rumuowha was of no consequence to the outcome of the game. The loss means Rumuowha would not progress to the knock out stages despite having one more group game to play.

Coach Iyke Uwakwe of Rumuowha FC took the loss in his stride but was quick to inform the press that his side was filled with young boys who were getting their first tournament experience.

The team we played is a little better than us. I have youthful boys and no one is up to 20yrs. They tried their best. I just want to expose them. It’s a new team. They are new boys and they have not played any tournament before we start this team a month and three weeks ago, so I decided to register them for this tournament so that I can expose them to see what things are like outside.

Citadel FC boss, Henry Moses lauded Brown Ideye, the sponsor of the tournament as the competition he said has given him an avenue to test run new players within his team in a competitive atmosphere.

“This competition is more of a test run for me because I have a new crop of players I am currently working with. So I am using this competition as a test run for some of them. As a team, I must admit despite our victory that we didn’t play totally well today but I am looking forward to having good games in subsequent matches”.

Coach Moses also admitted his side had missed super sub and radio analyst Benjamin Okenna Sawadinho who wasn’t available for selection on the day due to personal reasons. Sawadinho is a super-sub in the team. Each time he comes in to the game you always feel his presence. If he was here today, perhaps he would have gotten a goal or two.

photo credit, China Acheru

In the day’s late kickoff, a 78th minute strike from Chukwu Chizi saw Gold Kings Soccer Academy earn a 1:0 win over Soccer Fire FC thus earning their first points of the competition.

The Brown Ideye Challenge sponsored by Super Eagles forward Brown Ideye, is a 20 team competition with the teams divided into four groups of five. Two teams would progress from each group to play in the quarter final stage.

Action continues Saturday with army side, Mighty Amphibious trading tackles with Ajagun Soccer Academy by 2pm while A & B Academy will be up against Garden City Academy of Sports by 4pm.

BROWN IDEYE CHALLENGE: PANTHERS HIT JIKE STARS FOR SEVEN

Garden City Panthers went goals crazy as they tore apart Jike Stars Football Club in a group C encounter at the on-going Brown Ideye Challenge in Port Harcourt.

Eager to set aside their opening game one nil loss to Fountain FC, the panthers struck as early as the 5th minute with Amie Elisha getting the first of what promised to be a goals rain.

Two minutes later Jike Stars had to pick the ball out of their goal again, as Akemini Kingsley got his first goal of the day. Akemini was on song once again in the 24th minute, while Tamunoimama Kalio increased the Panthers tally to four just a minute later, with Jike Stars now evidently in sixes and sevens.

Jike Stars weathered the storm from then on ensuring the first half finished 4:0.

The second half however saw the Panthers turn up the heat once again with Ikechukwu Nwafor and Mohammed Akari getting on the score sheet for the unrelenting Panthers. Tamunoimama Kalio eventually got a second goal to ensure his side ended the game by a whopping 7 goals to nothing.

Coach Larry Etim of the Garden City Panthers said his side decided to score as many goals as possible just in case qualification from the group went down to goals difference.

“I am very satisfied with this victory. You know we lost one nil (in the first game) so we needed to come out and win convincingly in the event of a tie” he informed the press.

photo credit, China Acheru

Bruce Balafama, Coach of Jike Stars acknowledged the Panthers were more superior to his side who traveled all the way from the creeks for the tournament.

“This is the first time that we are playing a team like panthers. They are well organized.
From the creeks we bring out this team. No other team here is from the creeks we are the only local team from the creeks or the village.
We will play better next time.”

In the day’s second game Solomon Thompson’s 82nd minute strike was enough to secure SKE FC all 3pts in their match up against Rivers Utd Academy.

BROWN IDEYE CHALLENGE: POLICE MACHINE IN RUTHLESS FORM…

Police Machine FC was in mean form as they dispatched MCW JEF Soccer Academy 3:0 in their first game in Group D of the on-going Brown Ideye Challenge.

Dubbed the ‘Group of death’ owing to the number of top teams in the group, spectators expected a very tough contest and as such were surprised to see the police machine dominate the clash.

Ben Wokpara netted the first of the machine’s goals in the 9th minute while Ikechukwu Elumesike added another in the 33rd minute.

Chinedu Enyinaya made it 3 for the machines in the 56th minute as they continued to dominate the Academy side.

Speaking to the press after the game, coach of the police side Godil Jacob informed all who cared to listen that MCW Jeff soccer academy wasn’t a match for his side and as such he was surprised that anyone present expected a balanced contest.

“They can only say that because they don’t know the Police team. They’ve not watched us play before. If they had, they’ll know that MCW Jef is no where.

“I am not even happy that we only scored three against them, it was supposed to be more than that. We are too good. The cup is ours.”

On the opposite side, Ndubuisi Ihejirika, Coach of MCW Jeff Soccer Academy put his side’s loss down to luck and expressed confidence his side would still qualify from the group.

photo credit, China Acheru

“Football is a game of chance. If you get a chance, then you convert it. I believe they did well and at the end of the day we’ll sail through. I believe they did well. One can not question God”.

In other games played on the day, Benedi Utd beat Glodek FC 3:0 while A&B Academy enjoyed a 2:0 victory over Ajagun Academy.

There will be no games on Sunday. Action will resume Monday.

Ajagun Football Academy gears up for Brown Ideye Challenge

Ajagun Football Academy are taking this year’s football tournament, Brown Ideye Challenge very seriously.

The academy, a brainchild of former Dolphins and Nigeria junior international Abdul Jaleel Ajagun will test their might against Bayelsa United on Thursday, April 28 in preparation for the upcoming tournament.

Speaking to the secretary of the Main Organising Committee, Sanipe Damiete, the coach of Ajagun Academy, Aduni Owolabi said his wards are putting finishing touches to their preparation for the ultimate prize in the competition.

“We want to be in top shape when the competition starts next week and playing against Bayelsa United in Yenegoa will afford us that opportunity.

Brown Ideye
photo credit: Олег Дубина
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“Football is serious business so we are seriously gearing towards coming out top. We know the calibre of teams that have registered and pray for a good draw on Monday,” he said.

Registration for the Brown Ideye Challenge closes on Saturday, April 30, 2016 with the draws scheduled for Monday, May 2, 2016.

The winner of the tournament goes home with three hundred thousand naira.