Nigerian Football
A South West Derby of Contrasting Fortunes
BY OLADIMEJI OSHODE.
It is another South West derby as MFM of Lagos makes a short trip of about 60 km to Sagamu to face home side, Remo Stars on Sunday. Both have contrasting aim at the encounter, Bottom placed Remo Star will be struggling to navigate the difficulty murky waters of relegation while MFM will be aiming at consolidating the possibility of taking a ticket for continental outings next season, if not aiming at the league title itself.
MFM struggled to beat Katsina United last Monday in match that was shifted from Sunday owing to disruption by rain. In the end, the 3-2 win was a relief. Great thanks to , Onuwa Chukwuka strike that helped fired the ‘Olukoya Boys’ back to the second position on the log after Destiny Ashadi and Obinna Eleje cancelled two first half goals from Stephen Odey and Sikiru Olatunbosun.
For Remo Stars that same week, Nyima Nwagua and Sikiru Jamal gave the Kano Pillars the maximum points in Match Day 31 of the NPFL. Pillars won 2-0 at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Sunday.
No doubt, Remo Stars have a mountain to climb even at home on Sunday. First, they will have to provide antidotes to the possible poisoned arrows of the dreaded MFM triple ‘O’ of Olatubosun Sikiru, Odey Stephen and Onuwa Chukwuka.
But the Remo Stars duo of Obi Ekene and Osas Okunuoghae will be up to the task. In the reverse fixture, the Olukoya Boys secured the bragging right over the Sky Blue Stars after Stephen Odey’s spot kick proved the difference at the Agege Stadium in Match Day 12 of the league.
Remo Stars’ defender, Onuoha Chukwujekwu vowed to be up to the task. “It’s going to be a delightful contest between two sides who play ‘tiki taka’ football in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), the fans will have no other choice than to enjoy total football on Sunday.
“They are fighting to stamp their feet to play in the continent next season, they are second on the log now and they play a kind of football that attract fans to the stadium, likewise ours but our position on the log isn’t showing our worth.”
“We are not happy with our current position but we will still show the world we aren’t meant for 20th and our display against MFM FC would speak for us.
“The coach always tells us to play for our career because the future is quite important to us and we would play to interpret all what the coach has taught during training sessions.”
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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