Nigerian Football
Hammer Falls on Pillars, Remo Stars and Katsina
The League Management Company, LMC, has imposed varying sanctions on Kano Pillars and two of its players as well as Remo Stars and a goalkeeper of Enyimba following recent incidents that led to violence in the Nigerian league.
Sports Village Square recalls that last Sunday matches in Kano and also in Katsina had post match violence.
In Kano, fans rioted after the home team’s 1-0 loss to visiting Akwa United while in Katsina, the vehicle of Enyimba was attacked allegedly following a punching of a ball boy by the Enyimba goalkeeper.
As a result, the LMC through a press release sent by Harry Iwuala also found Remo Stars guilty for incidents that occurred on Match Day 15 in Shagamu.
According to the statement, Remo Stars was found guilty of breaches of Rules C.1.1, B13.18 and B13.52harassment of match officials, access to restricted area by unauthorised persons and assault on journalists by Remo Stars supporters.
The league managers therefore imposed a cumulative fine of N2.5m on Remo Stars and restriction of fans from attending three home matches of Remo Stars with the last two suspended.
For harassment of match officials in their hotel rooms by supporters of the club, the Ikenne-based outfit was fined N500, 000, N1m for throwing of objects towards the field of play leading to delay of the match, N750, 000 for failing to ensure restriction of access to unauthorised persons to restricted area and compensation of N250, 000 for assault to sports journalists, Kelvin Ekerete.
For last Sunday’s violence, Kano Pillars’ team was adjudged to have violated
Rules B13.18 and C1 and fined a total of N7.25m as well as other consequential fines.
The Kano outfit will also play unspecified number of matches at home in empty stadium.
The clubs has also been directed to identify and hand over to the Police for prosecution, its match security stewards who led the attack on match officials during the match fixture against Akwa United.
The fine against Kano Pillars includes N250, 000 as compensation to Dr. Tunde Akinbinu in addition to any certified medical bills arising from the attack on him by the club supporters after the match day 18 fixture against Akwa United.
It also includes N1m compensation to Akwa United for assault on members of the team in addition to any other certified medical bills, a fine of N3, 000,000.00 for conduct capable of bringing the game into disrepute and deduction of three points, the execution of which shall be suspended for a probationary period of the remainder of the season.
In addition, Rabiu Ali and Murtala Adamu of Kano Pillars were also sanctioned for threatening of the referee and conducted themselves in a manner that was capable of inciting others to commit violence or misconduct which constituted a breach of Rule C1 and consequently suspended for one match.
In the Katsina United versus Enyimba fixture, Katsina United was fined N2.5m for violations of Rule B13.23, C18.6, C18.14 and B13.21.
The fine included N500, 000 as compensation to Enyimba International and a cost to be determined for repair of their damaged vehicle.
The club is also to play the next three home matches behind closed doors two of which is suspended for a probationary period lasting the remainder of the season.
Katsina United was also placed on a suspended sanction of three points’ deduction for probationary period lasting the rest of the season. The sanction against Katsina United arose from incidents at the end of Match Day 17 fixture against Enyimba International.
Enyimba’s goalkeeper, Fatau Dauda was suspended for one match and fined N50, 000 for aggression towards a ball boy during their match against Katsina United.
Dauda was charged for breaches of Rules C11 and C1 which included assault on a ball boy and acts capable of inciting others to commit violence during their match day 18 fixture against Katsina United.
The clubs and players were given 48 hours to submit in writing to the decisions of the LMC or elect to appear before a commission and for which further sanctions would be imposed should their appeals not be upheld.
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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