INSIDE THE CLUBS

Ocean Boys

Players of the club could be smiling to the bank this week or before the start of next season if the comments of the side’s spokesman, Eddy Ohis, is true. The club’s image-maker disclosed that the management is making plans offset the remaining signing-on fees for last season. He informed that the club had paid the players 30 per cent of signing-on fees earlier in the season and would be paying the balance of 70 per cent on a yet to be announced date.

Enyimba

Before last Sunday’s triumph in the Federation Cup over Sharks Football Club, families, fans and friends of players of the Peoples Elephant were piling pressure on the team to win the Federation Cup formerly known as the FA Cup. The pressure was not due to the fact that the five-time Premier League champion in Nigeria had not won any title in the last two years. It was uncovered that the N500,000 dangled at each player by the Abia State governor, Theodore Orji, nearly turned the camp of the Peoples Elephant upside down.

Kwara United

In spite of the club’s former head coach, John Obuh, insistence that he can combine the job of Golden Eaglets’ head coach with that of Kwara United, the management has opted to bring in a new handler, as it believes hat Obuh would be too distracted to handle two big positions. The club has already conducted interviews for a number of high profile coaches in the country and could unveil its new head coach this month ahead of its pre-season activities.

Wikki Tourists

With the players and officials yet to get their signing-on fees for the 2008/2009 campaign, head coach of the Bauchi-based Premier League side, Ladan Bosso, is left at the mercy of the players. Some of the club’s key players, it was learnt, are already talking to other sides in the Premier League and could make a switch since most of them were tied to just a year’s contract. The players have decided not to extend their stay in the wake of Wikki’s refusal to offset their signing-on fees.

Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC)

The Jericho camp of the Oluyole Warriors has suddenly come to life once again after the club won promotion to the Premier League last season. But those who played key roles in ensuring that the side returned to the top tier of league football in Nigeria after more than three years are concerned that some outsiders are plotting to hijack the project of managing the side next season when the club compete in the Premier League. It was learnt that a number of former officials and players of the club have been plotting and lobbying for places to be part of Shooting Stars in different capacities. A source said even those who slammed the appointment of Mutiu Adepoju as General Manager of the club are now fighting to share from the club’s success.

Akwa United

Exodus looms at the club with some of its top stars set to jump at any offer to remain in the Premier League. The club would begin its pre-season programme next month, but it is becoming clear that its influential players could follow top scorer of the league last season, Orok Akarandut, out of Uyo. Some of the players that could leave the relegated side are goalkeeper Ambrose Vanzekin, Ogbonna Onuoha, James Mmaju, Stephen Ubo, Simone Badmus, Onyekachi Okoye, Nonso Elias, Promise Onuh, Henry Enyeyibo, Stanislas Toclomitei and Cletus Itedo.

Delta Force

After a torrid time in last season’s campaign in the Nigeria National League (NNL) also known as the National Division I League, players of the club were finally paid debts owed them by the management of the club last Thursday. A player of the club told our correspondent that every penny owed the players has been settled by the management of the club.