The Media Amalgamated team which consists of journalists from other newspaper houses in the country, have vowed to upset The PUNCH Newspapers’ 50th anniversary match when they both face off at the anticipated novelty match holding at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos on February 24.
The novelty match will be held to herald the activities for the 50th anniversary celebration of Nigeria’s most read newspaper.
A team of selected journalists from Tribune, Nation, Vanguard, ThisDay, Telegraph, Leadership and The Guardian newspapers form the Media Amalgamated are coached by former Super Eagles forward and bronze medallist at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, Victor Agali.
Despite the Almagated teams are yet to have any training session as a team, but one of the players, Niyi Alebiosu of Tribune, expressed optimism that their team will be united to defeat the PUNCHERS.
Speaking, Alebiodu said, “I won’t reveal our strategy but we are looking forward to a good match. The technical director is in charge and has given us the mandate to intensify personal training ahead of the match,” Alebiosu told our correspondent. “Our handler will give us further information about our training and I can assure you that we are going to flog PUNCHERS, not minding that they are the celebrants. We are not amateurs, we are battle ready and cohesion won’t be a problem. It’s just about putting our tactics together.
“We are sending a strong warning to the PUNCHERS to be ready for a harvest of goals.”
Meanwhile, the PUNCHERS had their first training session on Wednesday ahead of the game, which comes up in 10 days’ time.
Head coach of the PUNCHERS and 1992 AFCON bronze medallist, Friday Expo, trained at least 30 players in an intensive session at the football pitch of the Mountain Top University along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Magboro, Ogun State.
