Nigerian Football
CHUKWU FOR TREATMENT IN ENGLAND NEXT WEEK
Ailing former Green Eagles captain, Christian Chukwu may be flown to England next week to continue his treatment. According to The Guardian, this is as Chairman of Forte Oil, Chief Femi Otedola made good his promise to ensure that the ailing former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu bounced back to his feet.
The billionaire businessman presented Chukwu with a $50, 000 cheque to facilitate his treatment overseas. The donation when converted into Nigerian currency is N18 million.
With the
development, Chukwu may be flown out of the country to enable him continue with
his treatment. He has been receiving medical care since he was diagnosed of a
stroke-related illness at the Nike Specialist hospital in Enugu.
Otedola, whose cheque was presented by the Chief Operating Officer of the downstream sector of the Company, Mr. Philip Akinola, said the gesture was in line with their earlier promise to ensure the wellbeing of the former footballer.
Otedola, who was accompanied by President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Pinnick, Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Saturday Vanguard Editor, Onochie Anibeze, said he would do more as well as visit him in London.
Speaking, Ugwuanyi announced an automatic employment for the son of Coach Chukwu, Emeka into the state civil service. Amaju also disclosed that Chukwu would soon be flown abroad for further medical treatment. He said the NFF was already in touch with two hospitals in England where Chukwu may be flown to.
He added: “We are here to acknowledge a super living legend, a legend that if you mention his name everybody shakes; a legend that has paid his dues for the polity called Nigeria, a legend that we love so much, a legend that would not be allowed to die, a legend that his name is already in the annals of history in Nigeria.
“We believe that if you call Christian Chukwu and confine him to Enugu State government, you will not be doing him any good because even Nigeria as a country is too small to accommodate him. The NFF from the beginning decided that we will be part of this. There were mistakes in the past but we have decided it will not happen again, hence we have decided we will acknowledge our legends at all points in time our legends; it’s not when they pass on we will say oh he was a good man.
“The Cheque is basically to take care of his medical surgery, on our part, we don’t want him to go to USA, we want him to go to England, we have already made arrangement with two hospitals because we still want him around and we will do everything within our resources to ensure he gets the best treatment.”
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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