Nigerian Football
AITEO Cup: Sunshine, Nasarawa Clash Headlines Round of 32
The encounter between NPFL teams Sunshine Stars of Akure and Nasarawa United of Lafia at the Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode is the pick of the Round of 32 matches of this year’s AITEO Cup competition that will come up on Wednesday.
In the women’s competition, in which the first ball will be kicked on Wednesday, the match between Premier League teams FC Robo Queens and Delta Queens of Asaba at the Legacy Pitch of National Stadium, Lagos headlines the Round of 32.
Yobe Desert Stars, who eliminated top NPFL side Kano Pillars in a rescheduled Round of 64 tie in Damaturu on Thursday, square up against Akwa United in Uyo next week – the match rescheduled as a result of the Nigeria/Cameroon World Cup qualifier in the same city on Friday.
Lobi Stars, who kicked out fellow NPFL side Katsina United, are away to Ngwa FC in Abakaliki, while Unicem Rovers will host Rangers International of Enugu and the Oshogbo Township Stadium is venue for the clash between Osun United and Kwara United.
In the women’s version, Adamawa Queens will take on Edo Queens in Fufure, Invincible Queens are away to Confluence Queens in Lokoja and Rivers Angels will tackle Delta Babes in Port Harcourt.
NPFL side Niger Tornadoes will be up against FC Atete (the club that eliminated Rivers United) in Lokoja, Shooting Stars are away to Delta Warriors in Warri and Plateau United host Ede United in Jos.
AITEO Cup Round of 32 Matches
WOMEN
Adamawa Queens Vs Edo Queens (Fufure)
FC Robo Queens Vs Delta Queens (Lagos)
Confluence Queens Vs Invincible Queens (Lokoja 2pm)
Beautiful Tours Vs Moje Queens (Area 3, Abuja 2pm)
Rivers Angels Vs Delta Babes (Port Harcourt)
Bayelsa Queens Feeders Vs Fortress Ladies (Nembe Stadium)
Pelican Stars Vs Young Talents 99 (Calabar 2pm)
* Ben Women FC, Ibom Angels, Jokodolu Babes, Sure Babes, Sunshine Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, Osun Babes, Abia Angels and Bayelsa Queens were drawn bye into the Round of 16.
MEN
Sunshine Stars Vs Nasarawa United (Ijebu-Ode)
Akwa United Vs Yobe Desert Stars (Uyo, 6 September 4pm)
Osun United Vs Kwara United (Oshogbo)
Niger Tornadoes Vs FC Atete (Lokoja)
Ngwa FC Vs Lobi Stars (Abakaliki)
Unicem Rovers Vs Rangers International (Calabar 4pm)
Ekiti United Vs Abia Warriors (Ado-Ekiti)
FRSC FC Vs Heartland FC (Area 3, Abuja 4pm)
FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders Vs FC IfeanyiUbah (Nnewi)
El-Kanemi Babes Vs Almar FC (Maiduguri)
FC Abuja Vs Samba Kurna (Area 3, Abuja, 31 August)
Plateau United Vs Ede United (Jos)
ABS FC Vs Adamawa United Feeders (Ilorin)
Katsina United Feeders Vs Bayelsa United (Katsina)
Akwa Starlets Vs Doma United (Uyo, 6 September 2pm)
Delta Warriors Vs Shooting Stars (Warri)
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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