Nigerian Football
OSUN GOVERNOR, OYETOLA UNVEILS UNUANEL AS OSUN UNITED COACH
BY TUNDE SHAMSUDEEN.
The new helmsman in the administration of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, has charged the management and technical crew of Osun United Football Club to instil discipline in the team especially the players ahead of the commencement of the 2018/2019 Nigeria National League.
The state governor stated this while unveiling David Samson Unuanel as Head Coach of Osun United. Unuanel, 54, was officially unveiled the Head Coach of Osun United by the immediate past Commissioner for Special Needs, Social Needs, and Sports, Biyi Odunlade, and Chairman Osun Football Association, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi.
Governor Oyetola who was represented by Odunlade urged the technical crew to select the best players to prosecute the league and urged the team to be appreciative of good gesture by turning in good result.
Ogunjobi, who was part of the committee that appointed Unuanel, said the coach was selected on merit after screening and the management of the club had made a right choice in his selection.
He assured the management would give the new tactician the needed and necessary support to achieve the club target, which is to gain promotion to the elite league in the country.
DSU as Unuanel is fondly called, while addressing newsmen said, he was thankful to the state government and management of the club for giving him the opportunity to coach and lead the club.
He however asks for the support of everybody in the state to deliver on the mandate given to him, to qualify the team to the Nigeria Professional Football League.
“We need everybody’s support to move the club to the elite league so; I need everybody to move with me in the right and same direction. I came back to this club to make a statement and deliver, I will give my best and I pray my best brings the required results,” he said
Unuanel who assisted Prime FC (now Osun United) to gain promotion to NPFL in 2006 expressed delight with the opportunity to work again with the Omoluabi Giants.
“I’m happy to be here again, it’s a great opportunity, we don’t have time to delay, we know our aim and target, and it’s to go to NPFL, because we’re overdue for it. I’m soliciting everyone support and I’m open to advice that will help us achieve our goals,” the former Sunshine Stars coach said.
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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