Nigerian Football
AITEO CUP FINAL IS A MATCH TO MAKE US LANDLORDS IN UYO, SAYS IFEANYI IFEANYI
BY KINGSLEY OYERO.
Akwa United midfielder, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, is bubbling with enthusiasm ahead of Sunday’s AITEO Cup final. The match at the Agege Stadium is like home-coming for him having in the past played for MFM, the landlords of Agege.
He told Sports Village Square that he was prepared for the AITEO Cup final against Niger Tornadoes, but labels Abubakar Bala’s men as “cheats”, having defeated his teams in the past.
Ifeanyi is buoyed by the fact that his solitary goal this season for Akwa United is the one that qualified the club for the cup final. It was the winning goal of the 3-2 aggregate score line against Sunshine Stars in the semi-finals.
“I felt very good, as that was my first goal of the season. I was so happy that my goal qualified my team to the final.
“We know that this is a match for us to be a landlord in Uyo. So we are really motivated to win the game.
“After winning the trophy, a lot of goodies will come with it”, remarked Ifeanyi who felt that Niger Tornadoes had cheated him twice in matches he featured against the Minna side.
“When I was with MFM, we defeated them when they came to the Agege Stadium, but they defeated us the same way they cheat away playing clubs.
“At Akwa United, we went there and they defeated us the same way but we beat them in Uyo.
“Have played against them and I know them too well and am prepared for them.”
The former MFM captain is also looking forward to returning to his former hunting ground – the Agege Stadium.
“I feel very happy playing in front of them once more. It’s been a while they saw me play. Am glad I will get to see the supporters and hear them cheering me up the same way they use to.
“The Agege stadium is still our home. Have played there and I know how to manoeuvre my way on the pitch. It’s a dream come through.
“Am not the only Akwa United player that have played there. About five of us have been playing on that pitch. We also have Godspower Igudia, Aremu Afeez, Musa Newman and Okechukwu Gabriel. It will really help us.
On his contract renewal, the WAFU Cup silver medallist said: “My contract ends after this game. I might renew the contract or may not depending on my discussion with the chairman.”
Ifeanyi made the standby list as Nigeria beat Zambia to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
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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