Nigerian Football
3SC, Crown in Sixth Straight FA Cup Final
BY JUBRIL AROWOLO
For the sixth consecutive year, Shooting Stars and Crown FC will play in the final of the Oyo State FA Cup final. The two state owned club sides have stamped their authorities on this competition by making it impossible for other rivals to break their authority.
But the pendulum swings more to Crown of Ogbomosho who have won in three of the last five final matches since the 2012 that the rivalry began.
The more popular Shooting Stars won in 2012 and 2015. Will Crown FC crown their dominance with yet another victory this year? That is left for answer on Sunday when both meet on the familiar turf of Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.
The Spartan turf of Lekan Salami Stadium which had been the battle ground for many well fought football wars has almost become ‘a no-man’s land’ for the two contending sides having served as the venue for all the participating club sides since the beginning of this competition.
This is the background of this epic final and both teams are not toying with the outcome of the encounter, giving all the attention it deserves.
For the Shooting Stars, it is a tie they want to win going by the available records of trailing their Ajilete brothers with two wins out of five in their past meetings. Determination was almost visible on the faces of Shooting Stars players who are more than determined to turn around the spate of bad results they have had in the first stanza of the Nigerian league.
Even the coach is not left behind in the strong resolve to overcome Crown FC. Technical Adviser, Fatai Amoo was in charge during the 2013 loss to the Ajilete Boys and seems to be wary of history repeating itself!
“It is a big match for us; Crown FC has won more than us in our five meetings. My last time here could still be remembered when they beat us via penalty shootout. Gbolahan Salami and Kabiru Alausa (one of my assistant coaches now) lost theirs”, Amoo said to www.3sc.com.ng.
Toeing the same line of thought is the head coach, England-trained Edith Agoye who believes that the game will bring out the best in his players in preparation for the league resumption.
“Anytime, any day Crown FC is a serious opponent and we can’t take them with kid’s glove. I have told the players and my coaches about the seriousness of this match, we shall give it our best and it’s going to be interesting “, he remarked.
“We are always ready and considering the fact that Crown FC has been winning the FA Cup that’s something that gives us extra motivation.
“And as well, this might probably be the last competitive match before the resumption of the second and players are vying for shirts and they know it’s a big opportunity to pick a place when the second round comes. So, all hands are on deck”, he concluded.
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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