Nigerian Football
BENDEL INSURANCE RENDER THANKS TO GOD OVER NPFL PROMOTION
BY KEHINDE OSAGIEDE.
Players and officials of Bendel Insurance were today at the St.Paul’s Catholic Church in Benin to express their appreciation to God for his grace that led to their promotion from NNL to NPFL in the 2017/2018 season.
Led by the Technical Manager, Monday Odigie and club Secretary Charles Ehimekpen, the team arrived in the church on Airport Road, Benin at about 12.0 noon for the Thanksgiving Mass which began immediately.
The Priest,Rev Fr. Pascal Omonor in his message said it is good to be thankful to God at all times.
He admonished the club against turning back against God. I cited the case of Israelites in the Bible who after enjoying the favour of God later turned their back against God and later ended in slavery because of their ungratefulness.
“I am happy that you are here to thank God for seeing you through. I watched your games against 3SC live at the Uniben Sports Complex and a lot happened that day against your interest but God showed Himself and things turned around in your favour the next day when the match was finally concluded after the heavy rain that forced the postponement of the second half to the following day.
“I was obvious the rain washed away the forces against you that day. Only God knows why it happened that way but it eventually ended well for Insurance. I congratulate you once again “. He said.
Father Omonor however advised Insurance to always put their trust in God that by so doing they will always succeed.
He prayed and asked for God’s favour and protection upon members of the club and as well for the club to sustain their NPFL status.
Speaking after the Thanksgiving Mass, the assistant coach of the club, Greg Ikhanoba said it is good to thank God after winning a long time battle of promotion from NNL to the nation’s topflight league.
He said insurance is not ungrateful club, hence they are back to God to appreciate Him for the victories so far given the club.
On their game against Kwara utd coming up on Wednesday, the assistant coach expressed the team’s readiness to win.
Meanwhile, the club will on Wednesday host Kwara United in an NPFL fixture. It is their first home since returning to the top league of Nigerian football.
The match will be played at the University of Benin Sports Complex, the temporary stadium of the ‘Benin Arsenal’
They were forced to a 1-1 draw by Remo Stars in their first game on Sunday at the Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu,
The chief coach of the club, Baldwin Bazuaye said they were ready to host the Kwarans.
He added that his boys were in good shape and ready for the game.
Bazuaye said insurance are not scared of any opponent, home or away but only respect other clubs.
Meanwhile, the management of Bendel Insurance has appealed to football fans and supporters of the club to go about supporting their darling club peacefully and as well respect the human dignity of referees and other match officials home and away.
In a statement issued by the club’s media officer Kehinde Osagiede, the club urged their supporters to always do away with any act capable of bringing the image of the club to disrepute.
Bendel Insurance is a highly disciplined club and expects every member of staff and fans to respect the set rules and standard of behaviour of the club.
The statement added that Insurance is not a violent club and cannot condone such act and as well condemned the physical assault on Referee Bethel Nwanesi by home supporters of Remo Stars after their match against Insurance at the Gateway International stadium, Sagamu.
Insurance however assured that proper security arrangements are being put in place to avoid any ugly incident of breakdown of law and order.
Nigerian champions, Enugu Rangers have been beaten 4-3 by visiting Kano Pillars in the Match Day 7 of the Nigeria Premier Football League.
The visitors went into the lead in 15th minute when Rabiu Ali converted a penalty kick. They doubled the lead in the 28th minute through Zulkifilu Rabiu before Rabiu Ali extended the lead to 3-0 in the 37th minute after converting another penalty kick.
The game turned into a nightmare for Rangers as Ahmed Musa made it 4-0 in the first minute of the added time.
Rangers began a fight back in the opening minutes of the second half as Isaac Saviour pulled a goal back in the 47th minute. Twelve minute later he scored a second goal to reduce the tally to 4-2. Emmanuel Silas Nenrot made the score line a more respectable for Rangers when he scored a third goal in the added time.
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.
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