10 July 2006
NIGERIA : Zenith Bank League: Elephant Girls Take Lead
A 91-31 drill of Oluyole Babes of Ibadan yesterday gave the First Bank team the lead in the Western Conference of the Zenith Bank Female League which took the first jump ball for the 2006 season last week in Asaba. The Western Conference began their quest for places in the national final by the weekend in Akure.
The First Bank ladies nicknamed the Elephant Girls opened their campaign on a quality note on Saturday with a 104-28 massacre of beginners Bayelsa Queens.
The victory by the Elephant by the First Bank team who are also the reigning champions of the league paved the way for a good start and their leadership was confirmed by the mauling of Oluyole girls.
How far that leadership would last on the table would be settled today with the opening game between them and Dolphins of Lagos whose proprietor and manager Wale Aboderin has declared that the Dolphins are very set for the Bankers.
“We came not just to qualify but to qualify properly and in style. And from what we have seen on ground we are very capable of achieving that. Whatever results other team achieve between themselves don’t really bother us and this include the First Bank team.
“We are very capable of beating them here and that is exactly what we are set to do tomorrow (today). For Delta Force, they are certainly not the kind of team that will stop from qualifying from here and all this we hope to achieve,” Aboderin said.
First Bank and Dolphins played an exciting game last year in Abuja at the start of the Zenith Bank League and it was that victory by the Bankers that gave them the title. With First Bank, Dolphins and Delta Force in Akure centre, expert have correctly described the Conference as ‘Zone of Death’.
Just before First Bank defeated Oluyole Babes, the Dolphins were first on the court and equally handed a resounding defeat to the Bayelsa Queens. Dolphins won that game 97-37 to set the stage for this afternoon epic battle with First Bank. Dolphins had a bye on the opening day of Saturday.
Like the other centers, only two teams would qualify from Akure while the best two losers would get another chance at the losers’ centre billed for Abuja next month.
The First Bank ladies nicknamed the Elephant Girls opened their campaign on a quality note on Saturday with a 104-28 massacre of beginners Bayelsa Queens.
The victory by the Elephant by the First Bank team who are also the reigning champions of the league paved the way for a good start and their leadership was confirmed by the mauling of Oluyole girls.
How far that leadership would last on the table would be settled today with the opening game between them and Dolphins of Lagos whose proprietor and manager Wale Aboderin has declared that the Dolphins are very set for the Bankers.
“We came not just to qualify but to qualify properly and in style. And from what we have seen on ground we are very capable of achieving that. Whatever results other team achieve between themselves don’t really bother us and this include the First Bank team.
“We are very capable of beating them here and that is exactly what we are set to do tomorrow (today). For Delta Force, they are certainly not the kind of team that will stop from qualifying from here and all this we hope to achieve,” Aboderin said.
First Bank and Dolphins played an exciting game last year in Abuja at the start of the Zenith Bank League and it was that victory by the Bankers that gave them the title. With First Bank, Dolphins and Delta Force in Akure centre, expert have correctly described the Conference as ‘Zone of Death’.
Just before First Bank defeated Oluyole Babes, the Dolphins were first on the court and equally handed a resounding defeat to the Bayelsa Queens. Dolphins won that game 97-37 to set the stage for this afternoon epic battle with First Bank. Dolphins had a bye on the opening day of Saturday.
Like the other centers, only two teams would qualify from Akure while the best two losers would get another chance at the losers’ centre billed for Abuja next month.