Nigerian Football
‘UNITED’ CHALLENGE AS RIVERS FLOW INTO PLATEAU
SAMMY WEJINYA.
Plateau United and Rivers United will re-enact what’s turning out to be one of the Nigeria Professional Football League’s (NPFL) most compelling rivalries on Wednesday as this season’s competition enters match day two.
Both sides are riding the crest of a wave following successes on the opening day of the season.
The champions, Plateau United claimed a stunning 1-0 win over Nasarawa United in Lafia while Rivers United also won by a solitary goal at home to El-Kanemi Warriors.
Plateau United will however start as overwhelming favourites on Wednesday with the Rivers United technical manager, Stanley Eguma admitting that he will be not be unhappy if his charges claim a point from the encounter.
“Plateau United have started well and they also did well last season,” Eguma told Rivers United official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
“They have made good recruitments but we are already on track (with Sunday’s victory over El Kanemi Warriors).
“My players are happy and I know they will also want to be happy on the trip back to Port Harcourt from Jos.
“Everyone here is determined to go to Jos to get the points. I will not be on the boastful side because I know that the league is just beginning.
“I am assuring the fans that we will not let them down as we will be going there to get the victory but if we (can only) get a draw, then it is also acceptable,” he said.
Coach Eguma has an almost full squad to work with on Wednesday.
Attacker, Samuel Akinbinu suffered some discomfort on his right shoulder which club doctor, Chukwuemeka Agi has since described as ‘not too serious’ and it is still not clear if the burly forward will start against the champions on Wednesday.
Another player, Prince Aggrey impressed on Sunday against El Kanemi and will be favoured to start his second game in as many matches.
Ochowechi Salefu debuted on Sunday and has been included yet again in the United match day squad.
Eguma must decide if young goalkeeper, Robert Cole gets another run out ahead of Sunday Rotimi who has also made the trip to Jos.
On the other side, Plateau United look stronger this campaign with reinforcements arriving ahead an expedition into CAF’s premier club competition, the CAF Champions League.
Okiemute Odah, on his day, can produce reflexes and saves to rival any goalkeeper in the land and he was outstanding in the win over Nasarawa United in Lafia on Sunday.
Raphael Ayagwa scored the winner in Lafia on Sunday and will be aspiring to impress against the ‘pride of Rivers’ yet again in midweek.
Head coach of the Jos club, Kennedy Boboye is in bullish mood ahead of Wednesday’s clash but readily admits he knows little or nothing about the opposition from Port Harcourt.
“I have not seen Rivers United play this season so I don’t even know what they have but when they come (to Jos) we will push hard to see that we (claim) victory,” Boboye began.
“My biggest target is to (defeat) them (on Wednesday) as we drew twice (in the league) last season in Port Harcourt and Jos.
“I don’t think it will be the same this season and by God’s grace, we will think of beating them in Jos,” he concluded.
The smart money will be on Plateau United claiming maximum points on Wednesday but surprises do prop up in football.
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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