Nigerian Football
Nigeria: El Classico Turned Bloody At Viewing Centre
Barely three days after tragedy befell a public viewing centre in Calabar, South East Nigeria, another calamity resulted in another football viewing centre in Abakaliki, the capital town of Ebonyi State in eastern Nigeria,
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, dare-devil cultists, in an American-styled Hollywood movie fashion, on Sunday night, stormed the centre during the telecast of Spanish League’s El Classico match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona El-Classico.
One of the victims was critically wounded. The sportsvillagesquare.com gathered that the viewing centre is located at Onuebonyi area of the town. The attackers reportedly stormed the centre about 7.30 p.m., midway into the match’s first half and sat down like other viewers enthralled by the captivating encounter.
Thereafter, they struck leading to severe injuries to a second-year student of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
Another witness and the viewing Centre Operator, John Otubo, noted that the attackers were magnanimous for reducing the impact of their attack considering the number of arms they brandished.
“I watched them brandish two short guns, axes and knives as they simply went for their target, dragged him out and started using the weapons on him.
“No one can explain why they did not shoot him as they concentrated on him without attacking any other person or shooting sporadically to elicit stray-bullet incidences,’’ he said.
Otubo, however, said that several viewers were injured during the ensuing stampede while they scampered for safety as the viewing was abruptly halted.
“Pandemonium set forth as viewers ran in different directions and with the centre having only one entrance, most viewers pulled down the zincs used as makeshift walls at the centre.
“Several viewers were injured in the process, including those who were trampled upon during the stampede as the attackers felt their prey was dead and hurriedly left the scene.
“I and other sympathisers met him motionless and in his pool of blood with the severe cuts on different parts of his body inflicted by the attackers.
“We immediately took him to a hospital which I cannot disclose presently as doctors said his condition was critical,’’ he said.
He said that he was undecided whether to report the matter to the police, adding that he would suspend viewing activities temporarily.
Mark Onu, National President of Akubaraoha Youth Assembly gave cultists in the state an immediate ultimatum to cease their nefarious activities or face dire consequences.
Onu, who is also the governor’s Senior Technical Assistant on Youth Mobilisation and Empowerment, urged youths to collaborate with security agencies in the state to fish out cultists wherever they reside or operate.
“We will not allow any person or groups to disrupt the prevailing peace in the state which is being complemented by the governor’s developmental strides in all sectors,’’ he said.
According to NAN reports, the town has witnessed renewed cult activities involving three cult groups in Ebonyi State University which resulted in the confirmed death of a final year student, Theophilus Onele.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jude Madu who is the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, said on Monday that he had not received the report of the incident but that manhunt on cultists had been intensified.
“The command arrests suspected cultists terrorising the town on daily basis and after our investigations, they are duly prosecuted to deter others.
“We will continue to appeal to the government, parents, religious bodies and youths among other stakeholders to intensify their campaign against cultism to make the society safe and habitable for all,’’ he said.
Sources within EBSU and the town disclosed that there had been several cult-related killings in and around the town which had not been made public by the police
.
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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