Nigerian Football
Education, Sports are Compatible, Akwa Ibom Commissioner Tells players
BY MFON PATRICK
The U15 football team of Akwa Ibom State may have failed to qualify for the quarter finals of the LMC /Spanish La Liga U15 Tournament after placing third behind Rivers United and IfeanyiUbah in the South East zonal competition, the state is undeterred in its efforts to ensure good future for the players.
The state commissioner for youth and sports, Monday Ebong Uko has encouraged the players to also take their education seriously, even as they play football. He gave the advice while receiving the e U15 team at the conference room of Akwa United Football Club in Uyo.
The state U15 team failed to qualify from the zone after recording two wins and two losses, with six points from a possible twelve. The team finished third in the group behind Rivers United and FC IfeanyiUbah who jointly topped the group with 10 points each.
The commissioner called on the players not to be laid back by their inability to qualify to the quarter final of the tournament but to build on the experience garnered while also focusing on their academics.
He thanked the team for representing the state at the tournament and urged them to utilize the experience of the tournament into good use, stressing that the exposure will help them become stars for the state and the nation in future.
The commissioner commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for investing in sports development which he said has helped the youths in the state to discover their talents in sport.
In similar vein, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sport and Chairman of Akwa United, Elder Paul Bassey, expressed appreciation to the state governor Mr. Udom Emmanuel for the just concluded first ever Akwa Ibom Youth Sport Festival which he said produced some of the players that made the U15 team.
Elder Bassey stressed that it was necessary for the team to participate at the tournament, adding that the state would soon reap the dividends following the invitation of four players from the team to the National U15 team.
The club boss promised to give opportunity to outstanding U15 players to join Akwa United senior team when they are up to the age of playing professionally.
He charged them to desist from acts capable of destroying their careers but to be disciplined and focused in their chosen career and academic pursuit.
Elder Bassey congratulated the LMC for collaborating with La Liga to give the youngsters the opportunity to take part in the tournament.
In a remark, the Technical Adviser of Akwa United Abdul Maikaba congratulated the youngsters for their efforts at the tournament and promised to give the team technical assistance that will help them to achieve their aim.
Twenty-two players and ten officials attended the two weeks tournament which took place in four centres across the country.
Top two teams from each of the zones will progress to the quarter final in which the winner of the tournament and some selected players would travel to Spain to play in an invitational U15 tournament later in the year.
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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