Peoples Elephant to play CAF Champions League in Port Harcourt
PRE-SEASON actions for the Nigeria professional football league will move to Sapele, Delta State, between February 8 and 12 with top clubs in the league battling for the third Sapele Unity Cup.

This competition is coming on the heels of Enyimba’s announcement that they will play their 2016 CAF Champions League games in Port Harcourt.

Already confirmed to feature in the five-day event are defending champions, Enyimba, Enugu Rangers and Warri Wolves. They will be joined by Delta Force FC of Asaba, Atete Football Club of Warri, Ejele Football Academy of Sapele and Coliphen Sports Academy of Benin.

Co-ordinator of the tournament, Comrade Stephen Cole, the Special Assistant to the Governor Of Delta State on Sports Development, who is also Secretary General of National Association of Nigeria Players Union and former captain of Dolphins of Port Harcourt, revealed that this edition of the tournament is being sponsored by Michael Diden, a legislator representing Warri North Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly. Diden is also the proprietor of Ejele Sports Academy.

According to Cole, the event at the Sapele Township Stadium is organised to prepare the premier league teams for the new football season, as well as expose the grassroots football clubs to topflight football.

He added that it would also foster community cohesion, while also complementing the efforts of the Delta State Government in sports development.

Enyimbva yesterday announced that they will play their home fixtures in the 2016 CAF Champions League at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.

Renovation work continues at pace at the Enyimba Stadium, Aba, but it seems increasingly unlikely that the refurbishment will be completed in time for the club’s opening game in the competition on February 28.

Enyimba will face Ugandan club, Vipers SC, in the preliminary round of this year’s edition of Africa’s premier club competition with the first leg set to hold on the weekend of February 12 to 14 at the 5,000 capacity Bunamwaya Stadium.
“The ongoing rehabilitation work at the Enyimba Stadium is not moving at a very quick pace.

“It is looking very unlikely that we will play the return fixture (against Vipers) at our own stadium so we have opted for the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt to play that game.

“We have already received clearance from the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to that effect,” Enyimba spokesman, Farriel Allaputa, said yesterday.