Nigerian Football
AITEO CUP: PLETHORA OF TOUGH GAMES IN ROUND OF 64
The Nigeria Football Federation on Monday conducted the draw for the men’s Round of 64 and women’s Round of 25 of this year’s AITEO Cup competition, with a number of eye –catching fixtures accomplished in the draw.
NFF Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, who represented the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi at the event, praised sponsors AITEO for the colour and glamour they have brought back into Nigeria’s oldest football competition.
NFF Director of Competitions Bola Oyeyode explained that this being a transition season, and with the mandate to conclude the competition on time in order to present to CAF Nigeria’s flag bearer in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup which starts in August, all matches will be on knockout basis.
A total of 64 teams, including 19 NPFL teams (minus Go Round FC, Heartland FC, FC IfeanyiUbah, Remo Stars and MFM that failed ot qualify), will battle for places in the men’s Round of 32.
There are a total of 25 teams in the women competition, who starts their sector of the race when the men will be battling in the Round of 32.
AITEO CUP MEN’S ROUND OF 64
- Rangers Int’l Vs Tornadoes Feeders
- Kebbi United Vs Lobi Stars
- Gateway FC Vs Almar FC
- Abia Warriors Vs Heartland Comets
- Ambassador FC Vs Yobe Desert Stars
- Warri Wolves Vs Doma United
- Rivers United Vs FC Timber Loader
- Sokoto United Vs Akwa United
- Walli Flamingoes Vs Delta Force
- Cynosure FC Vs Mighty Jets
- Gombe United Vs FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders
- Niger Tornadoes Vs Fasbir FC
- Enyimba FC Vs Kano Pillars Feeders
- Yobe Desert Feeders Vs Smart City
- Gwandu United Vs Katsina United
- Osun United Vs Shooting Stars
- Ekiti United Vs Ebonyi United
- Jigawa Golden Stars Vs Insurance FC
- Spartans FC Vs Port Harcourt City
- Police Osogbo Vs El-Kanemi Warriors
- Kogi United Vs Akure City
- Setraco United Vs Plateau United
- Amanda FC Vs Calabar Rovers
- Wikki Tourists Vs Qatar FC
- Layin Zomo FC Vs Sunshine Stars
- FC De-Leo Vs EFCC
- Katsina United Feeders Vs Nasarawa United
- Aklosendi FC Vs Zabgai FC
- Crown FC Vs Bayelsa United Feeders
- Kwara Unted Vs Ben Ayade FC
- Adamawa Heroes Vs ABS FC
- Aspire FC Vs Kano Pillars
. Matches to be played on 25th May, with only the fixtures involving the teams that will participate in the Super 6 to be put on hold
AITEO CUP WOMEN’S ROUND OF 25
- Capital City Dove Vs FC Robo
- Osun Babes Vs Linda Ayade FC
- Police Machine Vs Vera Gold Angels
- Solo Wonders Vs Bayelsa Queens
- Crystal Academy Vs Pelican Stars
- Edo Queens Vs YEF Queens
- Olori Babes Vs Moje Babes
- Young Talents 99 Vs Fortress Ladies
- Kaduna Queens Vs Abia Angels
. Rivers Angels, Adamawa Queens, Sunshine Queens, Delta Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, Confluence Queens and Ibom Angels all draw bye to the Round of 16
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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