Nigerian Football
GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup Season 8 Kick-off
The sponsors of the annual secondary schools football tournament in Lagos, Guaranty Trust Bank plc has announced the commencement of the eighth season of the GTBank Principals Cup in Lagos State.
For the past seven years, GTBank has continued to promote grassroots football through the organization of the prestigious Principals Cup competition, which is one of the largest grassroots competition in Africa.
The Guaranty Trust Bank plc sponsored tournament, which is aimed at actively engaging secondary school students through sports whilst promoting the values of excellence and fair play, provides a platform for identifying, nurturing, grooming young and talented players and also helping students work towards their dream of being world class footbllers.
Season seven of the Principals Cup produced an exhilarating encounter with over 360 teams competing to be the ultimate champions of the prestigious tournament. In the boys’ category, Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School completed a hat trick of championships (after winning in 2012 & 2014) and became the first team to permanently retain the trophy while Ikotun Senior High School held unto the cup in the girls’ category.
About 370 schools comprising of girls and boys from various secondary schools in Lagos State will compete in the 2017 edition (Season 8) of the Principals Cups competition.
While commenting on the importance of education in nation building, Mr. Segun Agbaje, Managing Director, GTBank said that “Sports and education are fundamental in fostering camaraderie and discipline amongst youths and imperative to their development.
We are therefore proud to be pioneers of this initiative that provides an avenue for students to showcase their talents and passion for the game of football whilst staying in school”. He further stated that “At GTBank, we will continue to invest massively in youth development through education and sports in order to help more youth people actualize their dreams.
Over the years, the GTBank Principals Cup has launched the professional careers of several talented players.
In 2015, Yetunde Fajobi joined the Nigeria U17 Female Team – The Flamingos- having played in the 2014 edition, where she powered her school, Government Secondary School Agege to victory and emerged the most valuable player of the 2014 season.
The 2012 MVP Steven Odey also joined the MFM FC in the Nigerian Professional League in 2016, and now in his second season, he scored the first hat trick in the season and is currently the highest goal scorer.
Guaranty Trust Bank, a youth oriented brand maintains the lead in providing support for education and sports to enable young boys and girls explore their talents and reach for their dreams.
It is one of the few Nigerian financial institutions that have maintained a defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, most especially in sports education. The Bank actively supports in-classroom and out-of-classroom educational programmes, infrastructure development, students’ scholarship and teachers training across Africa.
The miserable run of Akwa United and Ikorodu City came to an end after six games in the Nigerian Premier League this season. Both teams were initially glued at the bottom of the league table.
They now got respite as Akwa United beat Kano Pillar by 2-0 while Ikorodu City even did what could be considered an upset, beating Bendel Insurance 3-0.
Remo Stars bounced back to the top of the log after a 3-0 defeat of Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars are yet to get their rhythm this season, playing a barren draw with Enyimba in Ibadan.
Kwara United who got their first full points of the season last week after a 1-0 defeat of Remo Stars could not consolidate as they were beaten 1-0 by Abia Warriors.
Heartland under Emmanuel Amuneke are gradually recovering as they got a valuable away draw against El-Kanemi Warriors.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is 75 years since Nigeria’s national football team first played an international match. That was on 8 October 1949 when the first set of Nigeria’s assembly on their return voyage stopped over in Freetown and engaged Sierra Leone in an international football match. Nigeria won 2-0, setting a chain of positive results on 8 October.
The country never lost any competitive duel on that date. More significantly, the Super Eagles first qualified for the World Cup on an 8 October date.
That was in 1993 when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Algeria in the quest for USA ‘94 World Cup.
Nigeria became the first English-speaking African country to qualify for the World Cup. Another significance of the October 8 match at the July 5 Stadium, Algiers is that Nigeria were unbeaten for the first time by Algeria at home.
The only deviation from the 8 October Magic was in 2015 when Nigeria lost 2-0 to Congo in a friendly match.
Twenty-six years after Nigeria’s debut international match, one of Africa’s biggest football nations, Egypt fell to the October 8 magic, losing 4-0 to Nigeria in the last stage of the triangular World Cup qualifying series for Argentina ’78.
Up till October 15, 2013, when Ghana beat Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi, the October 8, 1977 duel with Nigeria remained Egypt’s biggest loss in a World Cup qualifying match.
Before the 1977 duel, Nigeria in 1963 played a friendly match with Liberia in Monrovia. The October 8 magic was active, even in an away match. Nigeria drew 2-2 in their very first encounter with Liberia. It was shortly after the team had, through a protest, upturned a victory by Guinea to pick Nigeria’s very first African Nations’ Cup ticket.
Little wonder then that when FIFA suspended Nigeria in 2010, the world governing body provisionally lifted the ban on October 8!
Nigeria on 8 October
- 1949 – Freetown (Friendly) Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria
- 1963 – Monrovia (Friendly) Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
- 1977 – Lagos (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
- 1993 – Algiers (World Cup qualifier) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria… qualify for USA ‘94.
- 2005 – Abuja (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
- 2010 – FIFA, in apparent respect to the 8 October magic, provisionally lifted a ban imposed on Nigeria.
- 2011 – Abuja (African Nations Cup qualifier) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea. Although undefeated, Nigeria failed to make it to the 2012 African Nations Cup.
- 2015 – D.R. Congo beat Nigeria 2-0 in Visé, Belgium. The ‘October 8 Magic’ is finally broken.
Rivers United have launched themselves to the top of the log at the end of the match day 5 of the Nigeria Premier League. The Port Harcourt side beat Akwa United 2-1 to go afloat after initial leaders, Remo Stars crumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Kwara United in Ilorin on Sunday.
It was Remo Stars’ first defeat in the season. Rivers United are now with 13 points. Stephen Mayo put Rivers United ahead after 31 minutes. But it turned a temporary lead as Akwa United bounced back almost at the blast of the referee’s whistle for the second half.
Friday Apollos levelled up for Akwa United before Ndifreke Effiong Udo scored the winner in the 85th minute.
Sunday Results
- Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
- Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
- Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
- Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
- Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
- Rivers United 2-1 Akwa United
- Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
- Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United
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