Nigerian Football
MFM FC’s Olatunbosun: Rave Of The Moment
Last Friday’s goal by MFM’s Sikiru Olatunbosun in the 2-1 defeat of the Nigerian league’s defending champion, Enugu Rangers, is still the talking point among followers of the increasingly entertaining Nigerian league.
It was not just the goal that proved to be awesome but the build-up to the goal was majestic and could go for television exhibition.
At about 31st minute of the floodlit match, Julius Emiloju beat Rangers’ Chinedu Udeagha. He floated the ball into the path of Chukwuka Onuwa and with three touches; he left Godwin Aguda for dead and scooped the ball to Stephen Odey who had Camara Aziz closing him down.
Odey rather than control, flicked the ball to Olatunbosun. The MFM winger did the unthinkable with just two touches on the ball.
His first touch was to chip pass the ball over Etim to set up himself up. The second, he smashed the ball, left-footed, leaving Rangers goalkeeper Itodo Akor clay-footed.
That piece of magic by Olatunbosun has earned rave reviews across the globe from respected media outlets and football people.
French influential daily sports newspaper, L’Equipe simply described the goal in a short remark as “a magnificent goal in Nigeria.”
Kennedy Boboye, head coach of league leaders in Nigeria, Plateau United, also chipped in and believes that it is one of the best goals he has seen in his country’s top flight.
Rangers head coach, Imama Amapakabo, feels Etim did not do enough to deny Olatunbosun time and space before the goal and his goalkeeper Akor “was out of position.” But he still rates the goal highly.
“My right-back didn’t close him down and my keeper was out of position and take nothing away from it, it was a fine goal,” said Amapakabo.
Already there are calls in some quarters for the goal to be included for the 2017 Puskas award, which FIFA uses to recognise the best goal in the year.
Surely Olatunbosun’s goal and his team’s 2-1 win over Nigerian champions, Rangers, took the shine off another exquisite goal by Bobby Clement in the same game.
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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