Nigerian Football
NIGERIA SPORTS MINISTER, DALUNG MOURNS DEJI TINUBU
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung has expressed deep shock following the sudden demise of the first Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Deji Tinubu.
Dalung described the death as too shocking and sudden to be true that Tinubu who was until his death bubbling with life could just slump and die while playing ‘leisure football’ with his friends.
He described the late board member of the Nigeria Football Federation as a progressive Nigerian who realized and pursued the dream of a greater and better Nigeria through sports development.
“We have interacted so well over the last couple of months since the Lagos State Government through him then as the Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission and Special Adviser to his Excellency on Sports, muted the idea of renovating the National Stadium in Lagos.
“His level of intelligence and calmness in the face of challenges was excellent. Working closely with him over the last one year on the proposed Lagos National Stadium project, reinforced my belief that with the help of bright young Nigerians who are in abundant supply home and abroad, the country would be great again”, Dalung said.
The Minister described the late Chief Executive Officer of SportsVision Media as a complete gentleman and a perfect role model to many established and upcoming journalists who wished to tap from his abundant wealth of experience.
“He was a complete gentleman who was humble to a fault. He was one of those few journalists who blazed the trail in their chosen careers and metamorphosed into sports administration when he became the Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association and was elected as an Executive Board member of the Nigeria Football Federation.”
While expressing deep shock over the news, Dalung prayed that God will console the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and give the good people of Lagos, the sports fraternity and his immediate family members the fortitude to bear this painful loss.
“I don’t think any word will aptly describe the way I feel right now or be able to soothe this deep wound that has been inflicted on us all. But we will continue to console ourselves with the fact that death is inevitable and it is the price all of us must pay for being human.”
The late Deji Tinubu was recently announced as the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Lagos State.
He was sworn in as Special Adviser on Sports and Chairman of the State’s Sports Commission on October 19, 2015.
He slumped and died while playing five-a-side match with members of the Lagos State Government Executive Council and permanent secretaries at a resort in Epe.
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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