Nigerian Football
Rivers May Compound Shooting Stars’ Woes
BY SAMMY WEJINYA.
Struggling Shooting Stars will attempt to swim ashore without sinking as they face Rivers United in their natural habitat.
In an earlier reversed fixtures in Ibadan last February, Rivers United played probably their worst game in the NPFL this season and the oppositions on the day were the Shooting Stars.
United lost 1-2 that day but that result, more than anything else, flattered the boys from Port Harcourt as only a shocking display of profligacy by the Shooting Stars forwards, good fortune and some extraordinary goalkeeping performance right out of the top drawer by Rivers United Femi Thomas kept the score line respectable.
This time, Shooting Stars arrive in Port Harcourt on Saturday with the hopes of going for an encore but will certainly meet a Rivers United side high on confidence after recently putting their CAF Confederation Cup campaign back on track with a crucial win against KCCA last Tuesday.
A possible win for United will see them climb four places to 13th on the NPFL log while Shooting Stars, currently mired in relegation trouble will leave the drop zone if they become the first side to inflict defeat on the ‘Pride of Rivers’ at their stately patch.
Head coach of Shooting Stars, Fatai Amoo, is full of respect for the opposition and does not expect any display of complacency from the hosts.
“I don’t think they (Rivers United) will be distracted as a result of their participation in the CAF Confederation Cup,” Amoo told Rivers United official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
“You don’t just stumble on (qualification to play) on the continent. There were four Nigerian clubs on the continent but today, only Rivers United is left so it means they have all it takes (to play at that level).
“It is an advantage for them but it will also motivate us. We respect them,” he said.
Lukman Mohammed scored for Rivers United in the reverse fixture at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan just over four months ago and he also spoke to us ahead of Saturday’s contest.
“The fans cannot write the team off for now; we ask for their support as it is still possible for us to have a good season,” he said on fans’ discontent over United’s underwhelming displays in the NPFL this term.
Saturday’s contest will be a compelling one with both sides desperate for points that will guarantee gradual, if not steady progress, towards the top half of the table.
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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