Sports
Union Bank Set To Win
Union Bank of Nigeria are taking the green and white flag, representing 23 years of self determination to the rostrums of the United States of America, where the club will stake a bold claim for the giant J.F. Kennedy Cup for supremacy in hockey.Union Bank, runners-up in two pre vious engagements for the trophy, are confident of victory in the tournament which was expected to open in October 8 to 12.
Team Coach Andrew Osesiambe, a former Nigerian international, spoke for the club when he told newsmen after a hectic work-out in Lagos. "We will be first this time".
He said his boys have been training twice daily to tune their muscles for this international engagement in which they have to play about three matches a day.
The squad then called NFA select side, played its first international engagement, incidentally, with Accra Great Olympics of Ghana, then touring Nigeria.
Union Bank were second to Royal Navy of Britain in 1981 and last year, they were runners-up to United States Eagles, a side with most of the materials who will appear for the U.S. in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles next year. Union Bank lost on penalties in the grand finals.
In preparation for the tournament, Union Bank recorded five smashing victories, two draws and two defeats.
They defeated the Nigerian Army 2-1 in Lagos; beat the soldiers by the same margin in Ibadan, whipped Nigeria Railways 3-0 at Oyo, and crushed Nigerian Air Force 3-0 and 1-0 in two matches.
Union Bank drew 1-1 with the national team and Niger State and lost 0-2 to the Armed Forces and 0-1 to Ondo State in Akure.
Kotoko
Champion club of Ghana, Fabulous Asante Kotoko are through to the semi-finals of the prestigious African Clubs championship. They eliminated A.S. Bilima of Zaire 3-2 on aggregate, in the quarter-finals. Kotoko, runners up in last year's championship coasted to a 3-0 victory at the Kumasi Sports Stadium on September 11 and lost the return leg in Kinshasa 0-2.Defending champions, El Ahly (National) of Egypt are also through to the semi-finals. They whipped Canon club of Cameroons 5-1 on aggregate winning 5-0 in Cairo and losing 0-1 in Yaounde.
In the cup winners competition, Agaza of Togo and Horoya of Guinea are through to the semi-finals. Agaza defeated A.S. Vita of Zaire 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw. Horoya lost the second leg match 0-1 to Green Buffaloes of Zambia in Lusaka but a 2-0 victory in the first leg match in Guinea saw them through.
