Nigerian Football
RELIEF FOR CHRISTIAN CHUKWU AS OTEDOLA FOUNDATION DONATES N18M
Glittering ray of Hope as come to former first National team captain to win the African Cup of Nations for Nigeria, Chairman Christian Chukwu as the Chief Executive Officer, Forte Oil Plc, Femi Otedola, has donated N18 million for the foreign medical trip of ailing former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu.
In another development, the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has directed the immediate employment of Emeka Chukwu, the first son of ailing former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu into its civil service fold.
The State Commissioner for Sports, Josef Udedi made the announcement after a closed door meeting between the delegation and the family of Chukwu.
Udedi said that the engineering graduate would be given automatic employment by the state government.
On his part, Pinnick said that the NFF would approve an appointment for the former skipper of the Green Eagles as a Life Ambassador of the organisation.
He said that the management of the NFF would work out a stipend that would be paid to him.
Udedi said that the football house was desirous of improving the welfare of ex-internationals.
He said that one of the objectives of the proposed NFF Foundation was to build a database of every player that represented the country whether in the past or in time to come.
Otedola, who was represented by the Chairman of Otedola Foundation, Phillip Akinola, made the donation yesterday during a visit to the Enugu residence of Chukwu.
He said that his foundation would do everything possible to ensure that the skipper of the Green Eagles regained his health.
He added that the medical trip of the former coach and current Technical Director of Rangers International FC, would be under the supervision of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Earlier, the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, said that the organisation was appreciative of all those that made them aware of the health challenges of Chukwu.
Pinnick described Chukwu as a living legend, adding that the NFF would not allow him to die.
He said that it was a situation like that that made the NFF under his administration to set up a foundation to cater for ex-footballers.
“Without players there will not be NFF. The foundation will take care of him. We believe it is not just the responsibility of the state government alone,” he said.
Pinnick said that the NFF was making consultation to fly Chukwu to London for surgery.
“This cheque is to take care of his medical surgery. We are in touch with the British Consular to arrange the trip,” Amaju said.
Responding, the son of the former coach, Emeka Chukwu, thanked the donor and the NFF for their interests in his father’s illness. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation comprising Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and members of the State Executive Council, after the visit proceeded to Nikea Specialist Hospital to access the medical records of Chukwu for onward transmission to a London hospital.
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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