Calabar Rovers

Full name	UNICEM-Rovers Football Club
Founded	1978 (reestablished 2008)
Ground	U. J. Esuene Stadium Calabar, Nigeria (Capacity: 25,000)
Chairman	Ansa Henshaw
Manager	Emmanuel Deutsch
League	Nigeria National League
Home colours

Calabar Rovers FC are a Nigerian soccer team based in Calabar. They play their games at U. J. Esuene Stadium. For part of the 2009 season they will play games at the Uyo Township Stadium while Eusene stadium is being renovated for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

They were one of the original members of the Nigerian Second Division which was established in 1979. Under Brazilian coach Paulo Campos, they adopted a fast paced style and were promoted after finishing second in 1981.

They stayed in the top flight for about a decade before being relegated to the lower leagues in 1993. During that time, they made the semifinals of the FA Cup twice but never won any major accolades. Their last game however was the controversial 13-0 loss to Akwa United on August 12, 2006. Already doomed to relegation to the Nigeria Amateur League, Rovers had three players sent off in the blowout which allowed Akwa to be promoted to the Premier League by a goal differential of one. Rovers on the other hand disbanded after the game. In May 2008, the Cross River State government announced plans to bring the team back from hiatus and with corporate sponsorship. With the help of United Cement Company (UNICEM), they entered into a player share agreement with newly promoted Dankat FC of Kano for 12 million naira, and will play in the Nigeria National League. Since the team also acquired Dankat's league slot, they will play in the mostly-northern division A. The team will be run for the next five seasons by UNICEM.

[edit] Current squad

No. Position Player GK Ndubuisi Okegbo DF Bob Usim Victor Udoh Ben Udoh Oleka Kenneth Onyekachi Edin Jojoba Ifeanyi Onyeozuru Calistus Nwankwo

No. Position Player Friday Willy Sunday Okoh Nzenwata Solomon Yakubu Ibrahim Mannaseh Solomon Okwadili Martins Ibong Iniobong George Moses

[edit] Former notable players

• Finidi George
• Emmanuel Ekpo
• Etta Egbe
• Uwe Ekarika
• Ene Okon
• Etim Esin
• James Etokebe
• Blessing Kaku
• Effiom Ntiero
• Nduka Ugbade
• Christopher Ohenhen

[edit] External links

• Paulo Campos Official Website
• Calabar Rovers plan comeback
• Rovers FC resurrects as Unicem-Rovers FC
• Rovers will bounce back, says Osim
• Ene Okon joins Unicem Rovers
• Good Players Make The Coach, Deutsch Affirms
• UNICEM Rovers defeat Mighty Jets

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