Nigerian Football
HEINEKEN BRINGS CARLOS PUYOL TO THRILL FANS IN LAGOS AND UYO
As the clock ticks down to the arrival of Spanish legend, Carlos Puyol with the iconic UEFA Champions League Trophy next week, international premium lager beer, Heineken, in its unique tradition is poised to give Nigerian football fans a treat during the three-day activities in the country.
Puyol, a three-time winner of the trophy with
FC Barcelona in 2006, 2009 and 2011 was unveiled last month in Lagos and
thousands of football fans especially those with affinity with the UEFA
Champions League competition are already looking to the three days of loaded
activities in both Uyo and Lagos.
The Marketing Director Nigerian Breweries Plc, Emmanuel Oriakhi, described the coming of the Spanish legend with the iconic UEFA Champions League Trophy to Nigeria as a way to reward long standing consumers of Heineken and fans of UEFA Champions League competition with a unique opportunity not only have a feel of the trophy but a wonderful photo opportunity with the strong defender, courtesy of Heineken.
“Puyol is often ranked as one of the best center backs of all time and with an average height, he has won most aerial battles against towering footballers either to defend or score crucial goals for his team and he is one of the legends of the number five jersey.
“Such a player fits into what we want to achieve by bringing the world best into our country for Nigerians to have a chance to meet him for the first time and have photo opportunities with him and the iconic UEFA Champions League Trophy too.
“We are excited to be creating premium experiences for our consumers and this is just part of the package we have in the ongoing season of unmissable moments,” Oriakhi remarked.
Although the UEFA Champions League Trophy experience is in its third installment, this is the first time fans outside Lagos will have the rear opportunity to come very close to the iconic trophy because consumers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and surrounding cities will enjoy the viewing experience courtesy of Heineken.
The thrill in Uyo will see the former FC Barcelona captain involve in an “Unmissable” Football Match at the Uyo International Stadium and play with the Shine Shine Bobo team which, would be made up of some of the brand’s most loyal consumers as well as past and present football players like former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha.
Active footballers in the domestic football scene largely from Akwa United, a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side will also have a rear privilege to flex muscle with the former international football star when team Shine Shine Bobo led by former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha and a host of other former national team players take on the Chairman’s team at the Godswil Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on the 16th of April, kick-off time 5pm.
This window of opportunity provided by Heineken for consumers and passionate fans is in its 12th year and has reached 32 countries across Africa, Asia, North and South America. The tour will land in Nigeria for the third time since the 2009 and 2014 experiences.
So far in the ongoing campaign, the UEFA Champions League Trophy has visited South Africa, Namibia and Indonesia. The next leg would be Mozambique and then China before it will land in Nigeria from 16th-18th of April, 2019. The iconic Trophy will then go to USA and finally touch down in Madrid, Spain for the final match on 1st of June.
Heineken, whose partnership with the UEFA Champions League dates back to the 2005/06 edition and in the ongoing campaign has been sharing ‘Unmissable’ moments which is based on the belief that every match in the competition has unmissable moments of actions for everyone to enjoy.
To follow the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken on digital platforms, visit @Heineken and use #Unmissable and #UCLTrophyTour.
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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