Nigerian Football
Life Line For Shooting Stars
BY JUBRIL AROWOLO.
Shooting Stars got a lifeline in their Week 28 encounter in Enugu after forcing a 1-1 draw that could see the struggling club navigate its way out of murky waters of relegation. It took Abu Azeez’s 76th minute goal for Shooting Stars to survive the onslaught of Rangers at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium, Enugu.
Rangers’ petit striker, Godwin Aguda had capitalized on goalkeeper Charles Tambe’s error to jab in after a corner kick by the home side on the 29th minute mark.
Before the error, the Cameroonian international goalkeeper had made some daring saves from rampaging quartet of Bobby Clement, Godwin Aguda, Chiamaka Madu and Bright Silas whose runs kept our defence line on their toes.
The goal notwithstanding, Shooting Stars threw in the trio of Ajani Ibrahim, Abu Azeez and Nonso Mbakwe to poke the opponents’ area with occasion incursions.
Also, pulling the strings were Shile Adebayo and Ayobami Junior from the midfield.
Their efforts forced some defensive errors in Rangers vital areas but no goal. That was the situation until the time for recess.
On resumption of the second half, Rangers mounted more pressure to double their lead but Tambe Charles and his covers were resolute.
Shooting Stars’ Moses James on one occasion had to come in for a timely clearance to safety after Itoya’s solo effort left Osawe, Samuelson and Omololu on his trail.
Rangers FC changed Bobby Clement for Omoh Johnson and Godwin Aguda for Ifeanyi George to sustain the tempo with more daring incursions and more free kick advantages.
However, the tide changed when Olukokun Najeem came in for Nonso Mbakwe on 60th minute. He his change added more pep into our attacking bites with glaring control of the game.
Merenini Junior came in for Ibrahim Shile Adebayo and his third time involvement saw him beating two defenders from the left with a final pass rightly connected into the net via a powerful volley by Abu Azeez.
The score line was even at 1-1 and the coaches brought in defensive conscious Adebayo Abayomi to replace Ajani Ibrahim in a bid to protect the precious equalizer until the final whistle.
While speaking with 3SC.com.ng in his post match interview, Shooting Stars Technical Adviser – Fatai Amoo was philosophical and credited the result to hard work and good fortune. “My boys worked for it and I appreciate their fighting spirit. But the battle is still on”. He went further that his team “must keep working and keep our head up while thinking about our next match”.
His counterpart from Rangers International Chukwuma Agbo blamed his wards for not converting their chances. He told 3SC Media that “we expected Shooting Stars to give a good fight. We learnt our lessons by dropping two points in the encounter”.
Shooting Stars goal scorer Abu Azeez was happy he got his first goal for the team which also proved vital to the team relegation survival. He went further that “the goal really boosts my reason for joining the team, helping to survive the drop and gladdens the heart of our teeming fans”.
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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