Nigerian Football
NIGERIA’S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HOLDS PUBLIC HEARING ON FOOTBALL GOVERNING BODY
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The public hearing on the bill formally establishing the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) comes up on Wednesday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja. The NFF, previously known as the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), was founded on August 21, 1933 in Lagos. It lost its autonomy on May 10, 1962 when a hitherto privately run body was dissolved by Chief Joseph Modupe Johnson, the Minister of Labour and Welfare who was also in charge of sports.
He then announced the constitution of an eight-man board led by Louis Edet, the acting Deputy Inspector General of Police.
From that moment, membership of the football body was by government appointment until August 1993 when electoral process was reintroduced. Even then, the process has often hit turbulent weather.
In 1993, the pseudo election was guided by the NFA Decree 101 of 1992.
At the annual general meeting of the NFA in Markudi in 2008, the congress effected a change of name from NFA to NFF leading to frosty relationship with the then National Sports Commission. The name NFF was never recognised in governmental circle and the body had to draw money from government under its previous name of NFA.
But the logjam seemed broken when three years ago the Senate of Nigeria passed the Nigerian Football Association Act 2004 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2014.
The Nigerian House of Representatives (Committee on Sports) on Tuesday in a public advertisement, called on the general public for the hearing that will come up on Wednesday at the Conference room 028, New building of the Assembly complex in Abuja from 10 am.
In the paid advertisement signed by Rt. Hon Goni Bukar Lawan, the House Committee on Sports invited the general public and stakeholders for the bill for an act to repeal the Nigeria Football Association Act, CAP. N110, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the Nigeria Football Federation Act to provide for the administration of the game of football in the country and other related matters.
Other bills for discussion includes an Act to establish the Nigeria Sports Anti-dropping Agency responsible for carrying out all functions of the Nigerian anti-doping organisation as enshrined in the various international standards and for other related matters.
The committee will also discuss the bill for an Act to provide for the administration and management of sports in the country, establishment of sports institutions and facilities, harness sports development and to encourage and promote drug-free sports and recreation in Nigeria and other related matters.
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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