The Iraqi club has finalized a 10-month deal with the defender, subject to a medical and player terms being finalised.

Gbadebo, 25 is departing after three years with Akwa United, in which he has helped them win the Nigeria Professional Football League title.

“These last few days have been charged with many emotions, feelings that I now want to share with all of you,” he remarked to Akwa United family.

“After three incredible and wonderful years at Akwa United a club that I will always carry in my heart, the day has come to say goodbye.

“Since I arrived in 2019, together we have exceeded all expectations and achieved things that I could never have dreamed of. I would like to thank all the coaches and all the people who work or have worked at the club for everything they have done for me.

“Many thanks also to all the Akwa United fans who always gave me a lot of affection and with their great demand they pushed me to give my best and fight for every success.

“I have had the honour of sharing a dressing room with the best players in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

“Finally, I want to thank all Elder Paul Bassey and especially to the city of Uyo. The place will always be special to me.”

Samson Gbadebo said it had been “an incredible journey in every way” and that he was leaving “with the feeling of having given everything and I will not change a single thing in this story of ours”.

The message concluded: “A new chapter begins…”

Founded in 2008, Naft Al-Wasat spent three seasons in the Iraq Division Two and another three in the Iraq Division One until they were promoted from the 2013–14 Iraq Division One to the Iraqi Premier League.

In their first season in the Iraqi Premier League, Naft Al-Wasat became the champions by achieving the 2014–15 Iraqi Premier League.

The striker who was signed along 10 other players at the start of the season gave a good showing of himself during the team’s pre-season scoring a total of 3 goals in 4 appearances leading to the season proper.

However since the commencement of the season, he’s majorly played a bit part role featuring in matches involving Katsina United , Akwa United, Lobi Stars, Plateau United and Gombe United.

The 19-year-old forward who has got a bulky built and whose strength lies in his shooting and aerial ability as well as his positioning, says he will keep giving his best in training to win the confidence of his coaches and in no distance time will break into the first team.

In his words, “I fully respect the choices and decisions of the coaches and I won’t stop putting my best in trainings. I am confident that whenever I am giving the chance, I will definitely justify my inclusion in the team.

“So far, I have had some game time against some high profile side and I believe the confidence I have gotten from those games will help me in future games.

” I am looking to get my first NPFL goal as I know that will not only boost my confidence but will also allow the coaches to trust me with more games” concludes the North West FC product.

MFON PATRICK

Following his emergence as Nigeria Professional Football League Best Coach in the Month of April, head coach of Akwa United Ayodeji Ayeni has dedicated his first managerial Award to God for His grace upon his career.

Coach Ayeni made the declaration shortly after receiving the League Bloggers Award LBA at the training pitch of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium after his team’s Monday evening training session.

Chairman of the club Elder Paul Bassey who presented the Award to coach Ayeni on behalf of the organisers, League Bloggers Award LBA, congratulated coach Ayeni and encouraged him to do more.

“We at Akwa United are grateful that you have won this Award in your first month in our dear club. We truly believe that you deserve this Award because of what we achieved as a club in the month of April.

“As much as we celebrate this achievement, we want to encourage you to see it as a challenge going forward. We wish you well and more successes as coach of Akwa United” the chairman prayed.

Coach Ayeni won the Award ahead of Rivers United coach Stanley Eguma, and Gombe United’s Aliyu Zubairu as coach of the Month of April which was his first month in-charge of Akwa United following his arrival from Sunshine Stars in mid-season.

During the month under review, coach Ayeni guided the Promise Keepers to three wins and three draws, finishing the month undefeated.

In his reaction coach Ayeni expressed appreciation to God for his benevolence and also commended the efforts of his players which he said was instrumental to the team’s performance in April.

“First and foremost I give God all the glory for his blessings upon my career as a coach. It wouldn’t have been possible without his grace and mercies.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the management of Akwa United Football Club led by Elder Paul Bassey for giving me this opportunity to work as a coach in this wonderful club. In a very special way I want to commend my players for their commitment and dedication. Their solid performance helped us to go unbeaten in my first six games in-charge.

“Let me also use this opportunity to say a special thank you to my family for all the encouragement I have received. The support of my wife and kids has been massive and I don’t take it for granted.

“When I arrived at this club in mid-season, I knew I was at the right place and I’m particularly happy because this is my first individual Award as a coach in the NPFL.

“I want to dedicated this Award to God Almighty without whom no man can do anything. I also dedicate this Award to the Akwa United family, all the fans of the club and my immediate family. It’s my belief that this is the beginning of good things to come”.

The League Bloggers Award which was instituted in 2009 is known for recognizing and celebrating one outstanding player and a coach in the NPFL every month.

The Promise Keepers had hoped a win against the Elephants would help them close in on Rangers of Enugu and Remo Stars of Ikenne, occupying third and fourth place on the log, respectively. Rangers had edged Heartland 3-1 in Awka, while Remo Stars were beaten 2-0 by Abia Warriors in Okigwe on Saturday.

Enyimba had their goalkeeper, Djeri Bassa, to thank for stunning saves in the first quarter-hour. The Togolese had denied Bello Babatunde twice before stretching at full length to prevent Ubong Friday from putting the Promise Keepers ahead, just ten yards out.

Ayeni’s men had to wait till the 40th minute for a breakthrough in a half they dominated. Bello Babatubde’s 25 yards free-kick strolled past Bassa, who thought he had things covered.

Enyimba approached the second half with a different mentality, pushing the home side to defend for the first quarter-hour. The champions gathered momentum to reverse the trend midway through the half.

The visitor’s brilliant display in the second half almost earned them an equalizer ten minutes before time. Victor Mbaoma failed to make it count when he missed a sitter inside the penalty area. At the other end, Wisdom Fernando could have sealed the game for the home side on 83 minutes, but for the woodwork.

With a minute of stoppage time played, Enyimba grabbed a precious point courtesy of Mbaoma’s header inside six yards. The result pushed Enyimba to 7th on the log with 39 points, six adrift of Rangers in the race for the third place, while Akwa United is 5th.

Match Stats:
Corners: 4-2
Shots: 14-9
On Target: 7-5
Fouls Won: 14-8
Yellow: 0-3
Red: 0-0
Saves: 4-6
Offsides: 2-3

Nigeria Professional Football League title holders Akwa United received a major boost following the return to fitness of two of their key players; goalkeeper Adewale Adeyinka and defender Samson Gbadebo ahead of their match-day 27 tie against Enyimba on Sunday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Goalkeeper Adewale Adeyinka missed his team’s last two games (1-0 win against Lobi Stars and a 1-0 loss against Katsina United) following an injury.

Defender Samson Gbadebo has not been in action since match-day 18 after sustaining a domestic injury, but the duo who were instrumental to the Promise Keepers on their title winning campaign last season have been confirmed fit and were part of coach Ayodeji Ayeni’s training programmes throughout the week, and may likely return to action on Sunday.

Speaking ahead of his team’s crucial game against Enyimba, coach Ayodeji Ayeni in an exclusive interview with the club’s official website www.akwaunitedfc.com said his team is in good shape to go all out for victory.

“We are delighted to see all our players. back to training after some injury concerns. We got positive news from the medical department when we came back from Katsina and with that there has been lots of competitions among the players because they all want to play.

“We are particularly happy to have Adewale and Gbadebo back in the team. Their return to fitness is a big boost to all of us.

“As a team, we are committed and determined to ensure we make the best we can out of this season. From what we have done in our training programmes, I can boldly say that we are in top shape and fully prepared for any challenge.

“Our match against Enyimba is a key match for us and we have to give it our all to ensure we get a positive result. I have passed the message to my players and they are aware of the importance of this game so we won’t leave anything to chance”.

Akwa United 6th on the log with 39 points have recorded ten wins, nine draws and seven loses after 27 rounds of matches. The champions will be aiming for their 11th victory of the season on Sunday when they engage 7th placed Enyimba who are one place and one point behind them.

The Peoples Elephants won the first leg 1-0 in Aba but they have lost all three of their previous visits to Uyo.

Coach Ayodeji Ayeni who was voted NPFL Best coach in the month of April after guiding Akwa United to three wins and three draws in the month under review, will be aiming for his fourth win in eight games since joining the club in mid-season.

The game is billed to kickoff at four O’clock (4pm) in the afternoon.

Speaking after his side’s lone goal triumph against Lobi Stars in a MatchDay 25 fixture played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Sunday, Ayeni confessed that he was overwhelmed by the outcome of his first six games. He praised his players for maintaining a high degree of consistency and being focused. 

“We are happy with the result, but I still maintain that the team is still a work in progress. We are not there yet. In the situation we have found ourselves, the fans desire more, and we must do our best to meet their aspirations. I think we can assess the team better after matchday 30”, he said. 

Ayeni, who joined the Promise Keepers in mid-season, has not suffered a defeat since the MatchDay 20 draw at home to Rivers United, with the 6-1 bashing of Nasarawa United top of the list of results he has amassed for the Uyo side since taking over from Kennedy Boboye. 

Bello Babatunde’s stunning effort from the edge of the area in 37 minutes was all Akwa United needed to see off Lobi Stars of Makurdi. Despite dominating possession for most of the second half, Lobi Stars could not secure the equalizer that could have put them level on points with Dakkada FC and Abia Warriors. 

The result propelled Akwa United to 5th on the log, pending the outcome of Sunshine Stars’ date away to Kano Pillars in Abuja. Lobi is two points above the relegation zone but could end the MatchDay in the drop zone if Kano Pillars and Heartland FC win their respective fixtures on Monday. 

A 6-1 thrashing of Nasarawa United was Coach Deji Ayeni’s fifth game without a defeat since joining defending champions, Akwa United from Sunshine Stars of Akure in mid-season.

Akwa United have endured an indifferent start to their title defense but revival to their quest for a continental ticket emerged with the goal fest against Nasarawa United of Lafia in a MatchDay 24 game played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Thursday

After the game, an excited Ayeni said he sees the team’s fortunes improving by the end of the campaign. He says that a continental ticket is possible for the Uyo-based side. 

“I came at a time when the team was struggling. They have quality players, but the challenge was their mentality. They only needed to believe in themselves.”, Ayeni told www.npfl.ng

“We have worked closely for the past couple of weeks, and I can attest that there has been significant progress. We hope to improve as we progress. The future is bright for the team, and we will push for the continent”, he said.

It was the 24th time both sides met in the top flight. The visitors came into the fixture with a slight head-to-head advantage, having won 8 and drawn 8 of the previous 23 games.

Ayeni welcomed his captain Ubong Friday back to the fold after three games, while defenders Orji Kalu, Dennis Nya, and Sampson Gbadedbo are yet to return from their respective injuries. 

The Promise Keepers got the fixture off to a bright start in the 9th minute when Nasarawa’s goalkeeper, Umar Danlami failed to hold Bello Babatunde’s 25 yards freekick. Ubong Friday was at the right spot to scramble in the rebound. 

Adam Yakubu doubled Akwa’s advantage in the 17 minute. Wisdom Fernando’s goals in the 22nd and 28th minute, helped the home side secure a four-goal advantage going into the break. 

Nasarawa United returned for the second half, hoping to peg back their hosts. King Osanga brought some spark to the Lafia side when he drilled home a rebound to reduce the deficit nine minutes after the restart.

Osanga’s goal ignited the home side to push further and restore the four-goal advantage three minutes after. Babatunde’s swerving shot displaced Danlami for the fifth. Substitute Franklin Matib came on with the final flourish on 79 minutes to compound Nasarawa’s woes. 

Bala Niyuku, attributed his team’s defeat to loss of concentration, pledging to address the challenges observed from the defeat suffered in Uyo. 

The win took Akwa United to 6th place on the log, with another home game to Lobi Stars of Makurdi on the cards. Nasarawa United slipped to 13th on the log with a date at home to Dakkada FC.

Match Stats:

Corners: 3-4

Shots: 11-5

On Target: 8-2

Fouls Won: 18-14

Yellow: 0-2

Red: 0-0

Saves: 1-2

Offsides: 1-2

Reigning Nigeria Professional Football League Champions Akwa United recorded their biggest victory in the NPFL following a resounding 6-1 thrashing of Nasarawa United on match-day 24 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Captain Ubong Friday, who recently returned to full fitness opened the flood-gate of goals in the seventh minute when he slammed home a rebound after goalkeeper Danlami Umar spilled Bello Babatunde’s ferocious strike from a free kick.

Midfielder Adam Yakubu doubled the lead in the 15th minute tucking in Bello Babatunde’s low cross before speedster Wisdom Fernando scored twice within seven minutes.

Fernando first received a long pass from goalkeeper Adewale Adeyinka and skipped past the opposing defenders before sending his low drive into the bottom left corner of the post. The speedster then grabbed his brace when he stylishly volleys home his team’s fourth goal of the afternoon as they went into the break with a deserved lead.

On resumption of play, Nasarawa United enjoyed few moments of possession and pulled a goal back through King Osanga.

Akwa United responded almost immediately through Bello Babatunde whose well-timed strike flew past Danlami Umar into the back of the net.

With ten minutes before the end of the game, substitute striker Franklin Matib put the icing on the cake when he raced down the right flank and unleashed a powerful strike beyond Danlami Umar for Akwa United’s sixth goal of the game as the hosts secured their eighth win of the season.

The 6-1 victory over Nasarawa United was the first time Akwa United have beaten any team by such a wide margin in their 14 seasons in the Nigeria’s top flight league.

Coach Ayodeji Ayeni’s team are on a five-match unbeaten run comprising two (2) wins and three (3) draws.

Coach Ayeni in a post match interview congratated his players for putting up a splendid performance against a team like Nasarawa United.

“We are improving everyday, and I’m happy that we have been able to change the mentality of the players and hard work we put in during training is beginning to reflect in our matches and the boys are also very confident and determined.

“Our attention is now on the game against Lobi Stars this weekend. Our target is to give our very best in all our games while hoping for the best as we continue to move forward “.

The Promise Keepers remained 7th on the log with 36 points from 24 games and they will next engage Lobi Stars in Uyo on Sunday 24th April, 2022.

Nigeria International Michael Ibe has returned to his boyhood club Abia Warriors until the end of the season.

The Umuahia based club won the race to land Ibe, with some NPFL clubs also reported to be keen on the attacking midfielder, who chose to return to his first NPFL team.

Ibe, started his professional career with Abia Warriors before joining Akwa United where he won the Aiteo Cup in 2017.

In 2019, he reunited with his former coach Abdul Maikaba at Plateau United before moving to FK Andijon in Uzbekistan.

His exploits with Andijon saw him join Mash’al Mubarek mid-season, in one and half season with the team, Ibe scored 10 goals and 6 assists in all competition for Mash’al.

Ibe is currently in Umuahia and will hope to bring his wealth of experience into Imama’s tutored Abia Warriors.

Wives of professional Footballers under the aegis of Professional Footballers Wives Association have congratulated the players and officials of Akwa United FC for emerging champions of the 2021 npfl season. 

In a congratulatory message signed by the president of the Association  Mrs Ify Lordson Ichull, the group said Akwa United are worthy champions of the highly contested league season. 

She said that the Association were grateful to God for the success of the season and urged the Players of Akwa United to be good ambassadors of the country at the continental level.

The players wives Association commended the LMC for a job well done as they described the season as one of the best in the history of the league in Nigeria plus good officiating.