National Polo Team Beaten by South Africa

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Ebojele Akhere 16 June 2011 Benin — THE Edo State chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Mr. Pat Okeranien has alleged that Edo state government was engaged in arbitrary deductions from the statutory allocation to the 18 local government councils in the state, resulting in the inability of the affected councils to pay salaries of staff even as it threatened to embark on strike over the issue.

Daily Trust (Abuja)

Ismaila Lere

16 June 2011

Defending champions South Africa were too strong for Nigeria in the opening game of FIP Zone D World Cup qualifiers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday.

The Nigeria Eagles, who were making a return to international polo after a 20 year gap, started well and held the South Africans at bay for the first half of the first chukka. They were tied at 2-2 before South Africa’s Lance Watson and cousin Duncan Watson started to dominate. And dominate they did.

They took South Africa to a 4-2 lead by the end of the first chukka, a lead they would only increase as the game went on.

It was still a game at 5 – 3 at the end of the second, but South Africa blew Nigeria away with four unanswered goals in the third chukka. They added two more in the fourth chukka to put the game well beyond any hope of the come-back.

Hamisu Buba replaced his elder brother Bello Buba midway through the 4th chukka as Nigeria’s 5-goaler was injured, though not seriously. Hamisu got two goals in the final chukka to make the final score of 13-5 seem a little more respectable.

Nigeria paraded Malik Badamasi +1, Bello Buba +5, Mohammad Babangida +4, Ibrahim Mohammed +4 and subsitute Hamisu Buba +4, while the South Africans have Johann Du Preez +2, Lance Watson +4, Duncan Watson +4 and Campbell MacNab +3.

Both teams have a total handicap of +14 each.

Duncan Watson commanded the midfield well, prompting South Africa’s attacks with penetrating distribution of the ball. Campbell MacNab was a stalwart in defence and even managed a couple of goals. Johann Du Preez got late call-up for South Africa when Sbu Duma had to pull out with a knee ligament injury, and made a good debut for his country, working hard in attack and getting a nice goal in the third chukka.

Nigeria’s goals came from Bello Buba (2), Hamisu Buba (2) and Ibrahim Mohammed (1).

The umpires for the match were Argentine Open umpires Gonzalo Bunge and Nicholas Scortichinni. The referee was JJ Diaz Alberdi.

With Agency Reports

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National Polo Team Beaten by South Africa