Nigerian Football
Nigeria’s Football Community Mourns Kelechi Emeteole
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Messages of condolence have been pouring in following the passing on of a former Nigerian international footballer and coach, Kelechi Emeteole who passed on in an Indian Hospital early on Wednesday morning where he had gone for surgery on throat cancer.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) expressed shock at news of the death of the 66 year old former international player and one-time Head Coach of the Supersand Eagles. Nigeria’s flag bearers in the CAF Confederation Cup, Rivers United also sent condolences on the death of the former international player and coach.
Speaking on behalf of the management of Rivers United FC, General Manager, Okey Kpalukwu expressed shock and deep sadness at the development.
“This is indeed terrible and heartbreaking news and we at Rivers United FC are pained at this unfortunate development.
“Emeteole was a great human being who served this country with distinction as a player and coach.
“We wish his family strength at this very trying moment as well as the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” Kpalukwu concluded.
In a press release by the media department of the NFF, the federation remarked: “The death of Mr. Kelechi Emeteole came to us as a rude shock. A year ago, we lost two legends in the persons of Stephen Keshi and Shaibu Amodu in the month of June. This year, also in the month of June, we have now lost another legend who served the nation creditably, energetically and meritoriously.
“Our hearts go out to his caring family that he has now left: his doting wife and children as well as relations. We pray that they will have the fortitude to bear the loss. We also pray that the soul of the departed finds eternal rest. Nigerian Football will miss him dearly,” NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, told thenff.com.
Nicknamed ‘Caterpillar’ for his no –nonsense approach as a defender, Emeteole was part of the second runners-up placed Nigerian team at the 10th Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia in 1976.
Sports Village Square recalls that his goal against Morocco in an April 3, 1976 Olympic Games qualifying match against the then newly crowned African Champions, Morocco, technically qualified Nigeria for the ill-fated Montreal 1976 Games.
The goal which added to the brace earlier achieved by Thomson Usiyan gave Nigeria a 3-1 victory in Lagos. Nigeria lost the return leg, 0-1 in Tangiers, Morocco. But for Emeteole’s goal, score line would have been deadlocked, requiring a tie-breaker. His first goal for Nigeria was in his second appearance when he put in the second goal in a 2-1 defeat of Congo.
Nigeria therefore qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 12 years. He scored again in a 3-1 defeat of Zambia in a friendly match played to tune up the team ahead of the 1976 Africa Cup. Apart from the goal he scored against Morocco in an Olympic Games qualifier, he scored in the 6-2 defeat of Sierra Leone in Lagos on October 30 1976 in a match where the legendary Segun Odegbami scored the first of his 21 goals for Nigeria.
Emeteole’s fifth and last goal for Nigeria was also against Sierra Leone in a March 12 1976 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Lusaka. Score line was 1-1 and it was Emeteole’s last match for Nigeria.
He later assisted Coach Sebastian Broderick-Imasuen in the Nigerian team that placed second at Canada ’87 FIFA Under 16 tournament.
He also coached elite domestic teams Enyimba FC, Rangers International, Lobi Stars, Heartland FC and El-Kanemi Warriors, and between 2007 and 2009 was Head Coach of the Beach Soccer National Team, Supersand Eagles.
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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