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Posted:
Sat Aug 10, 2019 4:50 amby Ko-oren
The Southwesterly Daily 290 K Mon-Fri, 400 K Sat-Sun
Trawadea Knights win again
The Trawadea Knights win once again as they now top the table by two points - something we probably won't see Maynard do this season - as the most talented teammates are off with Ouna's national team playing the same kind of opponents as the Dragonflies. Ko-oren top their World Cup qualification group, Ouna is fourth in a group with the likes of Eshan, Cosumar, and Newmanistan. From the Knights, they selected Fuzo, Thandanani, and Susi, giving coach Jan Elbers a headache especially when it comes to attack. With an improvised formation and front line, the Knights beat the Aces. Tandie formed a one-off duo with Siphelele, while Lindas operated on Fuzo's left back position. Tandie supplied the first goal, Mandla scored the second just before half time, and Dida Zamani ended the Aces' hopes at 90+2 for a 3-1 final result.
Going into the second quarter of the season, coach Jan Elbers is still firmly in place, with Buchanan not having made changes to the team yet. There are Maynard youth players rumoured to go to Ouna for the final half of the season, while the fate of those lower on the Knights' depth list not known yet.
Buchanan's hands-off approach is still rewarded by the local fans, who are now showing up en masse to the Knights home games. Of course it's easy to cheer for a winning team, but some other moves make it clear that Trawadea is fully behind their Knights.
The Knights in Sucheberg
Magdalene has done it! The Ounaian association caved and gave the Knights the right to operate Sucheberg as their home ground, lifting their maximum attendance from 2500 to about 25000, ten times as large! The very first match in the new stadium was well visited, including some neutrals who wanted to be there for the first ever club match in the national stadium. The Knights won 3-1! Before the start, Magdalene Buchanan flew out to Ouna herself in order to inspect the troops, but mostly to officially open the stadium for the Knights, inspect the stadium and its facilities... and it's all there. It's a magnificent home base for the team that is slowly growing to be a domestic powerhouse - with 75% of the season left to play, obviously. Anyhow, the stadium is large enough for any Ko-orenite visitors to go to - be sure to book with Qusmair for the best and most reliable routes to Ouna!
Posted:
Sat Aug 10, 2019 12:25 pmby Ouna
National League ResultsTeam Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Trawadea Knights 7 6 0 1 16 5 11 18
2 Karusha Dynamos 7 5 1 1 21 9 12 16
3 Visser Freetown Lions 7 3 1 3 9 14 -5 10
4 Muhanmaga Magic 7 2 0 5 6 10 -4 6
5 Bagatoro Warriors 7 2 0 5 7 14 -7 6
6 Vadborg Aces 7 2 0 5 7 14 -7 6
Posted:
Wed Aug 14, 2019 12:31 pmby Ouna
Bagatoro Warriors the nation's most profitable club? [BAGATORO, OUN.]
The Bagatoro Warriors profit figures for the last month were higher than any other Qusmair National League side.
The figures were calculated by the league's headquarters and do not factor in costs and income of franchise's parent companies.
The Warriors have recently seen a resurgence in form following a lacklustre opening quarter to the season where they lost four in a row. They are now tied with Vadborg Aces for fourth in the league doubling their amount of wins within the last three games. Andrew Mavuto the franchise owner will no doubt be pleased with the progress of the Suchebergan club, despite their rivals the Knights topping the league and in sparkling form.
The likely reason for this increase in profit and fortunes however is most likely due to the team having four home fixtures this month and not having to take to the road at all.
The next most profitable club are the Muhanmaga Magic who now find themselves in last place after a string of six straight defeats. No doubt the club's fans will be looking to the ownership of Revolutionary Sports to re-invest this money in order to pick up better results.
The biggest losers in the month were Vadborg Aces who have played an equal amount of home and away games. The team have climbed from last place to fourth however so fortunes are tied for the owner of the club.
The official financial updates will be released after match-day 10 and may change by this time, especially after quarterly bonuses have been factored in.
Also news of note: Top team Trawadea Knights travel to 2nd place Karusha Dynamos tonight to dispute who will lead the league. An exciting match will be shown on Qusmair TV at 8pm PAST.
Posted:
Wed Aug 14, 2019 12:44 pmby Ouna
National League Results Team Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Trawadea Knights 8 6 1 1 17 6 11 19
2 Karusha Dynamos 8 5 2 1 22 10 12 17
3 Visser Freetown Lions 8 3 1 4 9 16 -7 10
4 Vadborg Aces 8 3 0 5 9 14 -5 9
5 Bagatoro Warriors 8 3 0 5 9 14 -5 9
6 Muhanmaga Magic 8 2 0 6 6 12 -6 6
Vadborg Aces go 4th due to Away Goals
Posted:
Sun Aug 18, 2019 1:11 pmby Ouna
Qusmair National League Results
Team Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Trawadea Knights 9 7 1 1 20 6 14 22
2 Karusha Dynamos 9 6 2 1 26 10 16 20
3 Vadborg Aces 9 4 0 5 10 14 -4 12
4 Visser Freetown Lions 9 3 1 5 9 19 -10 10
5 Bagatoro Warriors 9 3 0 6 9 15 -6 9
6 Muhanmaga Magic 9 2 0 7 6 16 -10 6
Posted:
Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:17 pmby Ile Saint-Joseph
Aces Continue to Improve
The Vadborg Aces, who began their season in last place, have started to slowly climb up the league table, and have now actually made it to the top half. This is a good sign as the top four teams in the league will be eligible for UICA play (whether Champions' Cup or Globe Cup), and the Aces are in third and look to hopefully climb higher yet.
However, it may be tricky to advance further up the rankings; the table is crowded at the bottom with the leaders ahead by a long shot. The Knights and the Dynamos are threatening to run away with the season as a whole--both teams have recorded only a single defeat. While the bottom four teams are all clustered within six points of each other, their is an eight-point gap between the Dynamos and the Aces.
We hope that the Aces' string of better performances recently will increase attendance, which in turn will increase revenue and the club's ability to spend money to draw fans, creating an upward spiral. Recently, the Aces spent a large portion of their budget enlarging their stadium. They had originally planned to use their budget for transfers and finding new talent, but instead $7,500 were spent adding on to Zawadi Stadium. The capacity of the stadium has almost quadrupled, as 3,000 new seats were added. We hope that the fans will like the new addition and will continue to come out to support the team.
Posted:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:25 amby Ko-oren
The Southwesterly Daily 290 K Mon-Fri, 400 K Sat-Sun
Ouna's UICA situation finally cleared up
And it seems that the Qusmair National League champions will indeed go to the Champions' Cup preliminaries! The next three clubs will go to the Globe Cup, so chances are that a club from Ouna will play a club from Ko-oren.
As the Qusmair National League is rapidly approaching the mid-season break, Buchanan has announced there will be roster moves in Ouna's mid-season and Ko-oren's pre-season. Maynard are obviously the implied team, and reportedly there will be fringe Maynarders joining the Knights, and possibly some Knights coming over to the Dragonfly Archipelago as well. Whatever happens, let's give them a great welcome. More details later.
Ounaian League Schedule
The Ounaian League, for those that haven't yet found this out, is played across 20 rounds. Each team hosts each other team twice - so you'll play everyone four times in a season. As there have been nine rounds so far, the next match is the last one before we're officially halfway through the season, with the Knights or the Dynamos at the top of the league. For third and beyond, we find the Aces in huge form, then the Lions, Warriors, and the Magic in last place.
In this schedule, there is enough empty space in the calendar to play international matches, from UICA to national team games. In that regard: while Ko-oren have secured a spot among the multiverse's best 32, Ouna have been quietly going up the ranks. The Pan-African nation are now fourth in a group with Cosumar, Newmanistan, and Eshan, and they are only three points out of second place. It'll be hard to go the extra length, they have just one match left to prove themselves. Chances are they'll miss out - but even then, they made a big impression on the international scene.
Posted:
Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:40 pmby Ouna
Qusmair National League Results
Team Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Karusha Dynamos 10 7 2 1 30 13 17 23
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Trawadea Knights 10 7 2 1 22 8 14 23
3 Visser Freetown Lions 10 4 1 5 11 19 -8 13
4 Vadborg Aces 10 4 0 6 13 18 -5 12
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Bagatoro Warriors 10 3 1 6 11 17 -6 10
6 Muhanmaga Magic 10 2 0 8 6 18 -12 6
Posted:
Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:56 pmby Ouna
Mid-Season Stats
Highest Form Rating: Karusha Dynamos
Most RP bonuses: Vadborg Aces
Highest Attendance: Trawadea Knights
Most Valuable Club: Trawadea Knights
Most Profitable Club: Trawadea Knights
Highest Rated Player: Obafemi Essoa (Visser Freetown Lions)
Highest Rated Team: Karusha Dynamos
Strongest Defence: Vadborg Aces
Strongest Midfield: Karusha Dynamos
Strongest Attack: Karusha Dynamos
Largest Win: Lions 0-6 Dynamos (Match-Day 6)
Posted:
Wed Aug 21, 2019 1:12 pmby Ouna
Magic fans put owners under pressure [MPONGO, OUN.]Muhanmaga Magic fans are strongly protesting against the tactics of Raul Varona, the team's manager, and are calling on the owners to make changes.Fans of the club have been seen protesting outside of the club's stadium following their defeat against Visser Freetown Lions this evening, their seventh straight defeat.
"We have no idea who [Revolutionary Sports] are! They come from abroad and take no interest in the club. The manager is also removed from [Ounaian Football]. We as fans feel like we turn up week in and week out to be fed this garbage, while the players get paid next to nothing." One fan said.
Revolutionary Sports are a consortium based in the far away land of Cobrio, who registered ownership of the club early in the season. Muhanmaga started the season well with two wins in their first three games but have lost every game since.
The rural, impoverished region of M'Pongo has notoriously passionate fans. The scenes outside the stadium tonight showed as the sounds of explosives could be heard amongst the fierce protesting.
Editors comment: There is a lot of potential for this club, and the fans are willing to get behind a team which does well. However when the going gets tough the fans will be against you. The people of this region are miners, and very tough. You don't want to get on the wrong side of them.
Posted:
Thu Aug 22, 2019 3:21 amby Cobrio
Board takes action after fan protests
Revolutionary Sports, owners of Qusmair National League side Muhanmaga Magic, have taken decisive action following the club's seventh consecutive defeat. "The club have decided to part ways with Raul Varona," a spokesman revealed this morning, "and we are moving to appoint a replacement swiftly. Mr Koné is currently in Cobrio working to secure some exciting young talents to bolster the squad, and we have committed to investing an extra $5,000 to upgrade the training facilities at the club, while we are also looking at the possibility of using revenue already available to overhaul the youth academy in the summer. For now, the new manager, and loan signings take priority as it is paramount that the club secures the opportunity to compete in UICA competition, and the revenue that would bring."
The news is likely to be welcome to fans of the club, but probably will not be enough to placate them entirely. How things go from here will almost certainly depend heavily on the new manager, the new players being lined up, and whether or not these changes can turn the season around for the M'Pongo based side.
Bookmakers have listed Marvelous Koleoso, currently a youth coach at Rabastor Premier League side Ohafia Pride, as favourite to take over at Muhanmaga. "We believe he is absolutely the kind of manager that would interest RVS and the fans over in Ouna. He is young, ambitious, and a highly respected coach." A representative from Osarian gambling firm DynaBet explained. "His tactics are strongly attacking, which makes him sort of at odds with the senior team philosophy at Pride, too, so he'd perhaps be more amenable to a move where he can instill his own values without fear of butting heads with someone above him."
Other names linked with the position include Illythia Madera (youth coach at Aquilliano side Bahia Rojo, and wife of Samori Koné's friend and business partner Domenico Madera), Hroniss Sash (currently managing Highport United in Osarius; but a proponent of an exciting 4-3-3 system) and Seneca Delphiki (currently assistant to Kosmo Mellinidis with the Eristicean national football team; and a proponent of a highly unorthodox 2-3-5 formation).
The strongest links remain to Koleoso, however, and in particular, two young talents he is familiar with and could likely bring to Muhanmaga on loan: Akachi Asomugha, a well-rounded nineteen-year-old central midfielder; and Victor Orizu, a powerful twenty-year-old centre forward. Both left Ohafia Pride on loan earlier in the season, but have since returned and are currently stuck toiling in the reserves at the RPL side. "It does look likely that Asomugha and Orizu will arrive at Muhanmaga on loan," explains Cobre football pundit Justin Aribo. "Even if Koleoso doesn't join them, they're two players perfectly suited to make this temporary move, not currently getting much game time with Pride, but potentially being good enough to break into the team at a later date. In fact, many second-tier sides would potentially start them, but the general feeling is that managers lack confidence in their ability due to a lack of senior minutes. An impressive spell in Ouna could give them the boost they need while helping to turn around the Magic's season. Particularly if the new manager opts to switch to a more attacking system to capitalise on the team's forward talent..."
On top of this, there are rumours that Muhanmaga are interested in signing Trawadea Knights' young defender Sarpssand Hungard, though Trawadea claim no formal approach has been made.
Whether the changes will make a difference for the fans -- who it can be assumed are particularly incensed, following Koné's previous comments about ensuring "the product" is the best the club can offer -- remains to be seen, but seeing that RVS are in fact working quite hard behind the scenes is likely to cool tempers a little, at least temporarily. The fear, though, is that this season is already a lost cause. Halfway through the season, Muhanmaga have a six-point deficit to make up in order to reach a UICA berth, with both the Aces and Warriors looking better on paper at the moment.
Posted:
Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:17 amby Ouna
Qusmair National League Results
Team Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Karusha Dynamos 11 8 2 1 34 13 21 26
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Trawadea Knights 11 8 2 1 25 10 15 26
3 Visser Freetown Lions 11 4 1 6 11 23 -12 13
4 Vadborg Aces 11 4 0 7 15 21 -6 12
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Bagatoro Warriors 11 3 1 7 11 22 -11 10
6 Muhanmaga Magic 11 3 0 8 11 18 -7 9
Posted:
Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:56 amby Ko-oren
Hi Magdalene,
The league published our quarterly numbers. Now, at the halfway point in the season, we're looking pretty good in the league, as you've seen. We're second, but with a good chance of taking back first place. Dropping to third requires us to go on a bad slide for a long time. Your influence here is already noticeable. The Trawadea Knights are in much better shape, even if it's only because of the atmosphere around the team. I'm happy you left the existing structure in place, and that the players have had a fair opportunity to prove themselves. It's paying off, as you see, and we want to pay you back with a championship. Playing our home games in Sucheberg is a dream come true, playing in the biggest theatre Ouna has to offer and getting more and more fans in every single home game. Yes, the Knights are in a good place.
That said, I want to give you some pointers as to how I'm preparing this team for the second half. The goal is simple: we have to take first place. You've received our financial records, and it's looking good. I hope it's about the RoI you aimed for. And then I would like to take you through some recommendations.
As far as our opposition goes, the Dynamos have made excellent moves and will remain a foe for the rest of the season. It looks like the rest of the league is on our level or just below it, just the Dynamos are looking well ahead of the rest. For now, I suppose our roster building goal is to broaden the roster, find players with high ceilings, and continue to develop the talent that is already on this roster. I don't see how this team would turn out much worse than the Dynamos, it's just that it looks like they're a lot more mature already. So developing the youth department is a must. Also, the Knights operate on the highest wages of the entire league. That's not bad, it certainly helps us to keep our best guys here.
On the personal level, or rather, personnel level, I'd suggest the following:
Goalkeepers
Extend Dingani, and send Maza away - but only after getting a new backup goalkeeper. Sending Maza off isn't something I really want to do since I know him pretty well, but for the sake of the team and having a higher chance at success, I feel like we have to take this step.
Defence
Extend Chipo, Goduka, Lindas and Hungard. Yes, it will be expensive. Yes, a lot can still go wrong in their development. They're young, they're all under 20, but they can form a defence that this league has never seen before once they're all up to speed. Extend them at (nearly) all costs. Sadiki is fine on the bench, Fuzo looks like he isn't going to develop much further. It's up to you if you want to keep him as an experienced captain-candidate. I'm very divided on Fokazi.
Midfield
I feel like we could use a shake-up here. There are all quality players here, but nobody that stands out - outside of Mandla who I can see become a big one in a few years' time. Some changes here couldn't hurt.
Attack
The current starters are solid. Thandanani and Tandie are a great duo, Tandie is already well on his way to become a massive power. Some depth couldn't hurt. If one goes down, that's it for our substitutions.
Overall, I would again like to thank you for taking over financial reigns over the Trawadea Knights. We're in a good place, it could be even better still, though you should also watch the amount spent on total wages.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Jan Elbers
OOC: no changes yet, but they'll be there next RP.
Posted:
Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:15 pmby Cobrio
Marvelous start for Koleoso
Muhanmaga Magic have responded superbly to the appointment of a new manager, and taken a massive step toward winning the fans over again with a thumping 5-0 win over Bagatoro Warriors last night. Cobre manager Marvelous Koleoso arrived just four days ago at the club, along with two loan signings from Cobre side Ohafia Pride, both of whom slotted straight into the starting lineup.
Koleoso tweaked the tactics of the team, and it's fair to say the players adapted rapidly to his highly attacking 4-3-3 system. "It was important that we did not have too many changes," Koleoso told the media post-match. "Because when you come into a new team you must work with the existing people. Even if you are bringing your own people. When you do not, it disrupts the harmony, and this will cost you in the future, na."
To make way for the new signings, teenager Teun Treep III and Marnix Wilmsen -- both wide midfielders -- were dropped, with Asomugha bolstering the midfield, and Orizu taking point as the starting centre forward. Both players had a significant impact, with Asomugha picking up up a goal and an assist, while Orizu scored twice. Also benefiting from the new system, Simba Jr and Marthijn Siero -- now playing as wingers with a license to press high up the pitch -- picked up a goal each.
"It was a fantastic way to begin my time here," Koleoso beamed. "But we cannot rest. This is only the beginning of the new Magic, na."
Club chairman Samori Koné echoed this sentiment, taking time to speak directly to fan groups after the game at a specially arranged conference. "We have heard your concerns, and taken action. It is not appropriate for you to feel detached from your club, and this is something that we, myself and the staff at Revolutionary Sports, will be taking into consideration moving forward." He told the gathered representatives.
When asked about the promised funds, Koné was transparent. "We had intended to make a larger investment, but there have been restrictions on this. We can provide the correspondence with the league if you do not want to take my word. Also, our accountants have expressed concerns over the speed at which we are expanding, and whether the plans are sustainable in the long-term." He explained. "This is something we have taken on board in our planning, and instead have made the maximum permitted investment, with a view to making the most improvement to club facilities we can, without jeopardising the club's financial security. Hopefully, we can repeat this next season, and keep moving forward. It may not be as quick as we had initially hoped, but we still believe our initial goals are attainable."
Enquiries made regarding the accounts of Revolutionary Sports -- a publicly-traded company -- reveal that they have indeed invested the maximum allowed five thousand dollars into the club. A press conference was also announced for tomorrow, which insiders have suggested is going to be regarding the contractors for the upgrade work on the training facilities. "RVS have some deal with a gym equipment manufacturer, who supplies the facilities for their other clubs," our insider tells us. "They're going to announce the partnership tomorrow at the press conference, along with the hire of a new academy director and an expanded scouting network. Together, this should mean better youth players coming into the academy, and better development. More graduates to the senior team, and better improvement there too. It's all part of their plan. They're really taking this all very seriously, and while some will say the protests last week hammered home just how serious a situation this is, these plans have been under way for some time."
Team captain Toon de Beer welcomed the new signings, praising the positive effect the new gaffer and loanees have had on the team in training. "The new boys are very enthusiastic, and there's a buzz about the team. Everybody has raised their game to keep up with them." He said. "The new manager too, he's out there on the training field, getting involved. Lots of positive suggestions. Little things. Knows how to say just enough, you know?"
Fans gave the players a round of applause after the final whistle, but the love-in might not last if results don't continue this pattern, something that was made absolutely clear in the discussions with Mr Koné last night. The chair of prominent fan group Seventh Sons, Amadu Kasimpala, told the room in no uncertain terms, that his group would protest again "if the results are allowed to deteriorate into embarassment again", adding that "the changes are good ones, but we cannot just believe these words. We must see these words in action."
Posted:
Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:14 pmby Ouna
Qusmair National League Results
Team Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Karusha Dynamos 12 9 2 1 38 14 24 29
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Trawadea Knights 12 9 2 1 31 10 21 29
3 Vadborg Aces 12 5 0 7 16 21 -5 15
4 Visser Freetown Lions 12 4 1 7 11 24 -13 13
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Bagatoro Warriors 12 3 1 8 11 24 -14 10
6 Muhanmaga Magic 12 3 0 9 11 24 -13 9
Posted:
Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:37 pmby Ouna
Karusha to take on Trawadea in nail-biting match 13Thirteen is unlucky for some, and for one team in the Qusmair National League it may be the match which loses them the inaugural championship.At the highest rung of the football ladder, two teams have been battling it out with emphatic results to be neck and neck. The Trawadea Knights began the season by dominating and looked set to last, however a silent but deadly force beckoned as the Karusha Dynamos began a seemingly unstoppable run of form to take them top of the league only leading through goal difference.
The teams have played each other twice this season with the Knights being the victors at the Karusha stadium, and the teams recording a draw at the now empty Dutch Park which was home of the Knights until recently. The upcoming fixture will once again take place at Karusha's home ground and they will no doubt want to set the record straight by getting a three-point buffer on their championship rivals.
Neither teams have particularly worrying injury lists, and the tactics they employ do not look set to change. The Dynamo's biggest advantage is their outrageous away form - scoring 27 goals on the road as compared to the next team's 8 - but will not be a factor in the upcoming home game. Similarly, the Knights massive attendance figures will be unlikely to help unless they are willing to travel to Karusha to show their support (this is not a long drive so very feasible).
Bookkeepers predict it will be a close match however Karusha are slight favourites.Latest odds
Karusha Dynamos 1/1 Draw 4/6
Trawadea Knights 2/1
The match will be shown on Qusmair TV at 12:15 PAST 31/08.
Posted:
Wed Aug 28, 2019 1:05 pmby Ouna
Three teams set to join league
It is believed that late last night, it was decided that the Ounaian National League will be allowing three new teams to join beginning Season 2.
It comes as a whole raft of changes are to be set in place for the upcoming second season of Ouna's highest soccer league. Among those rumored, being raised ticket price caps and maybe even minimum transfer quotas.
The proposed ticket price increase would see ticket prices increase from $2.50 to up to $25 in order to increase the revenue teams may use to pay wages, and thus attract foreign players to the league as well as keeping homegrown talent here. This is a decision which has proved very unpopular with fans.
A minimum transfer quota, also being suggested, would mean teams would have to make a certain amount of player transfers throughout a season or risk a reprimand from the league. The idea behind this is because no player transfers have yet been made and the league feels there is a risk of talent being kept within the top clubs.
Fans have suggested a draft system for youth talent, however the league has poo-poo'd the idea as clubs are investing in their youth facilities and want to see their investments pay off.
None of these changes have yet been set in motion, however it has been confirmed the addition of 3 teams due to high interest from foreign investors to purchase stakes in the league.
Which teams will likely be for sale?
We think the most likely contenders for being admitted into the league are:
VVV Newhaven - The City of Newhaven is not represented in the QNL and is arguably one of Ouna's biggest markets. This side has won the Ounaian Amateur Soccer League nine times in its history and rumours are that the club's chairman would be happy to sell after a mediocre season where they finished 4th. A Datian firm has been said to have been prospecting the club with an offer potentially having already been made.
Sucheberg United - The current champions of the Ounaian Amateur Soccer League, this club is very likely to be ready for the top flight. Based in Kasme, close to the capital city, the team has quite a strong infrastructure and is arguably as professional as any of the current top flight clubs. The league may be a little saturated with Suchebergen Teams however, with the Knights and Warriors in close proximity.
Newcastle o.P.A - Newcastle of Pan-Africa is another choice similar to VVV Newhaven, as an unexploited market. A major port town which would provide a good local derby with the Visser Freetown Lions, it is said Balticonian consortiums are interested in this team.
It is unlikely the league will allow new start-ups and instead will poach from the Amateur Leagues, as these clubs are lower risk. The announcements regarding the new teams and owners are not expected to be made until after Match-day 15 and perhaps not until pre-season 2.
Posted:
Wed Aug 28, 2019 2:12 pmby Cobrio
Muhanmaga Magic were perhaps fortunate that their heavy defeat last night was in Trawadea, rather than their home stadium in M'Pongo. The tiny contingent of travelling fans was largely subdued -- a concerning state of affairs to those who know the usual passion shown by Magic fans -- and when the players approached them at the final whistle, they did not appear to be well-received.
New manager Marvelous Koleoso understood, however. "It is difficult to be a fan in this situation," he explained. "You have made a long journey, and your team has been soundly defeated. Now they expect you to continue the support? No, this is not a simple thing."
After their excellent performance last time out, many felt that the Magic had perhaps turned a corner, and would build on the result to claw their way to a UICA berth... now, pundits are less enthusiastic. "There are many problems in this team," says Junior Amua, during The RoundUp on Osarius Sports Network. "A strong victory one week does not repair all of the cracks. The two loan signings are wallpaper, and the new manager is attempting to be the filler but I do not believe he is the correct man for this job." How quickly the lustre fades. Amua went on to point out that "the midfield is still imbalanced, and this is the key to winning football matches with this system. Muhanmaga can only pray that the orishas bless someone in the youth academy before next season begins."
Some pundits were more sympathetic, however. With Amua's co-host Elias Uvuvwe quick to point out that losing heavily to "the best team in the league" is nothing to be ashamed of. "You must remember that the difference between the top of the league and the bottom of the league is wider than the canyons," Uvuvwe said. "Muhanmaga are improving, but they cannot compete at this level yet. They are still adjusting to the new system, also. I believe they have shown their quality in the previous game, and I will back them to bounce back and claim another victory next week, because you can see the fruits of the work from Koleoso in the passage of play last night."
Chairman of the club, Samori Koné -- as representative of Revolutionary Sports -- revealed earlier today that he has been in contact with league officials to discuss potential rule changes for next season. "There was talk of altering the transfer rules to encourage talent dispersal, which I backed, as it would be in our best interests to promote parity." Koné revealed. "Also, as you now know, there will be additional teams in the league next season, which will increase competition. We have to be very careful in our plans, and maximise the growth in critical areas."
Koné would not be drawn on suggestions that the league had considered instituting a draft system -- which would effectively render recent investment from RVS into the Muhanmaga youth academy pointless -- nor on his opinions on such a measure. Instead, he changed tack, deflecting the conversation to his plans to upgrade the facilities at Magic Arena. "As I have stated previously, we are discussing plans with local authorities and will be attempting to make changes to improve the experience of the fans on match day," he told gathered press. A heckler took this opportunity to call the quality of the playing personnel into question, however, shouting "and what about the football?!" Koné did not falter, smoothly pivoting back to the new hires and improvements made to training facilities over the past two weeks, and how the board now "expect to see improvements in the coming weeks.
One bad result at the home stadium of one of the league's strongest sides probably won't turn the fans against Koné and RVS again, but it certainly will not be helping the situation.
Posted:
Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:04 pmby Ile Saint-Joseph
Since our last update, the Aces have played 3 games, of which only one was a victory. The league continues to be tighter towards the bottom, with two leaders far ahead of the pack, but neck-and-neck. In fact, the Dynamos and the Knights are currently tied on points--definitely an exciting season for the fans of those two teams, if not the rest. Not that other teams aren't also jockeying for position--the Aces dropped down to fourth behind the Lions, and only today passed them again after defeating them 1-0. The Aces are still two and a half games behind the leaders--if you counted that the way they do in baseball (or maybe we're just doing our math wrong). Realistically, they are fourteen points behind--with only fifteen points of their own, the Aces would essentially need to double their performance to catch up. Doing so would actually take five games, not two and a half.
Despite this lag behind first place, fans are still turning up to watch the Aces play. The improvements to the stadium have already come in useful, as there has been a noticeable spike in attendance now that more seats are available.
With what amounts to two thirds of the season over, it doesn't look promising that the Aces can catch up to first place. But remembering that they've made their way up from the bottom, third isn't so bad. Maybe if the team gets a bit of a lucky break, they can take second. We'll be keeping our eye on it.
Posted:
Sat Aug 31, 2019 3:56 amby Ouna
Qusmair National League Results
Team Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Karusha Dynamos 13 10 2 1 44 15 29 32
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2 Trawadea Knights 13 9 2 2 32 16 16 29
3 Vadborg Aces 13 5 1 7 17 22 -5 16
4 Bagatoro Warriors 13 4 1 8 14 26 -12 13
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5 Visser Freetown Lions 13 4 1 8 11 26 -15 13
6 Muhanmaga Magic 13 3 1 9 12 25 -13 10
Posted:
Sun Sep 01, 2019 6:21 amby Datium
Posted:
Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:14 amby Datium
Posted:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 10:55 amby Ouna
Qusmair National League Results
Team Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Karusha Dynamos 14 10 2 2 45 17 28 32
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Trawadea Knights 14 10 2 2 34 16 18 32
3 Vadborg Aces 14 5 2 7 19 24 -5 17
4 Bagatoro Warriors 14 4 2 8 16 28 -12 14
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5 Muhanmaga Magic 14 4 1 9 14 26 -12 13
6 Visser Freetown Lions 14 4 1 9 11 28 -17 13
Posted:
Sat Sep 07, 2019 1:48 amby Ouna
Qusmair National League Results
Team Name P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Karusha Dynamos 15 11 2 2 47 17 30 35
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Trawadea Knights 15 10 3 2 36 18 18 33
3 Vadborg Aces 15 5 2 8 19 26 -7 17
4 Muhanmaga Magic 15 5 1 9 15 26 -11 16
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Bagatoro Warriors 15 4 3 8 18 30 -12 15
6 Visser Freetown Lions 15 4 1 10 11 29 -18 13
Posted:
Sat Sep 07, 2019 6:37 amby Ouna
Obafemi Essoa looking for way out at Lions?
Sources close to the player suggest that the highly-rated forward may be looking to leave Visser Freetown Lions at the end of the season.The winger, who is widely regarded as the best in the league, currently finds his team at the bottom of the league following a crushing defeat to Muhanmaga Magic yesterday.
It is understood that Essoa is not being utilised as a forward since he is currently playing at Left Midfield for his club. And rumours have been circulating of a bust-up with Head Coach Temperance Nassie over his performances.
He had a very fruitful World Cup qualifying campaign with his Ouna team-mates, playing alongside Bagatoro Warriors forward Julius Samson and Espor F.C's Lunga Lun (On loan from Karusha Dynamos). With only five more games on his contract he is thought to be wanting to transfer to one of their sides.
"One of the set-backs to the WCQ campaign was that the team had not been able to build up a chemistry beforehand. Laurens Pluim, for all his good points, had selected players from all the teams within the QNL and expected them to play to his system." A source said.
Another bone of contention - and a big one - is that Essoa will expect to play UICA football next season. This sadly looks like a tough ask for his current team, unless they make some serious gains in this final chapter of the season.
