Nigerian Football
Sunshine Dries Up Rivers
A fantastic long range strike from Ayo Saka proved decisive in Sunday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) contest between Sunshine Stars and Rivers United in Akure.
The two sides went into the game which was decided at the Akure Township Stadium in poor form.
The Stars were winless in their last five games while United boasted of just a solitary win from their last four NPFL matches.
Clear cut chances were at a premium early on until 38th minute when Saka struck, profiting from a Sikiru Alimi pass after the visitors lost possession in careless fashion.
United improved after the break and were unlucky not to be back on level terms in the 52nd minute when Olorunleke Ojo reacted well to deny Nzube Anaezemba from point blank range.
Ojo earned top marks again on the hour with a save right out of the top drawer to beat out Esosa Igbinoba’s free kick from 25 yards.
The visitors were unrelenting at this stage, stepping on the accelerator in a bid to rescue the game from the throes of defeat.
Emeka Atoloma fired a free kick marginally wide in the 64th minute while Emeka Ogbugh shot straight at Ojo after embarking on a mazy run that left two Sunshine Stars defenders for dead in the 75th minute.
Substitute, Bernard Ovoke brought pace, urgency and trickery into the United forward line after he replaced Nzube Anaezemba but there was to be no positive end product.
The electrifying winger created an important opening at the death but Lukman Mohammed, another second half entrant could only hit the side netting.
The hosts were however not to be denied; they defended stoically in the closing stages to claim a deserved win in the end.
Head coach of the Akure club, Kayode Olujohungbe spoke exclusively to our official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng after the game pointing out Saka’s first half goal as the turning point in the game.
“The game was won when they relaxed in defence in the first half.
“I knew the best they could get against us was a draw and all they needed to do was to keep us out and they would have gotten a goalless draw,” he said.
The Rivers United technical manager, Stanley Eguma also identified his side’s fleeting loss of concentration in the first stanza as the major reason for the loss to the Owena Whales.
“It wasn’t a bad game. We lost as a result of a loss of concentration in the first half after some careless marking in midfield.
“It affected our game plan but we learned a big lesson today to always keep our concentration for an entire game.
“We really wanted to win today but it was not to be,” he said.
The victory came with rich rewards for Sunshine Stars as they left the relegation zone and now sit in 11th place on the league standings while United stay in 14th with 10 points from eight games.
Match statistics
Sunshine Stars: Ojo Olorunleke, Kehinde Adedipe, Ambrose Onyema, Boboye Ezekiel, Nojeem Raji, Ogor Kelechi, Peter Iyamu (Sunday Oluwadare 48’), Sikiru Alimi (Bright Babatunde 70’), Samad Kadiri (Kola Anubi 81’), Ayo Saka and Alaba Adeniyi.
Substitutes not used: Ariyo David, Okemini Ikpo, Yahuza Bala, and Abe Sunday.
Rivers United: Femi Thomas, Ojobo Markson, Zoumana Doumbia, Emeka Atuloma, Ayobami Asekunuwo, Festus Austine, Anaezemba Nzube (Ovoke Bernard 62’), Keumian Guy (Lukman Mohammed 79’), Asamoah Godbless (Emeka Ogbugh 57’), Esosa Igbinoba and Weli Christian
Substitutes not used: Sunday Rotimi, Ifeanyi Nweke, Douhadji Joseph and Aliassou Sanou.
Courtesy, Sammy Wejinya
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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