Nigerian Football
SEYI AKINWUNMI ESCAPES FROM 36 LIONS’ JAWS
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 1st Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi had a titanic battle before he coasted to victory at home front in the Lagos State Football Association elections where he got a renewed four year mandate as chairman.
He had a formidable opposition in Gafar Liameed, the owner of 36 Lion FC as the election had to go into second ballot at the Morning Side Hotel and Suit in Victoria Island, Lagos.
That was the highpoint of the Lagos State FA Electoral Congress which had 13 eligible voters all present.
In the first ballot, Akinwunmi had a slim victory of seven votes as against six for Liameed. The electoral guidelines stipulate that a winner had to have two-third majority to be validly elected, otherwise, the election goes into the second ballot in which requires just a simple majority.
It was tension all the way. One of the voters said his vote was initially for Liameed but changed his mind at the congress hall. But for that, the initial result in the first ballot would have been the other way.
All the same, the election would have still gone into the second ballot. An initial five-minute break to allow the two contestants canvass dragged into 15 minutes which looked like eternity.
Then came the rerun. Akinwunmi won by nine votes to four, meaning that the initial seven voters remained with him and he got two additional votes from those who voted for Liameed.
He had won what was more of an escape to victory. He told www.sportsvillagesquare.com that the result of the second ballot was what he had projected for in the first instance and that he was unperturbed even when the first ballot was nearly deadlocked.
With the victory, he said his immediate action was to bring back the football body as one family. This he demonstrated immediately the result was announced. He stood up and hugged his opponent, Liameed.
Tade Azeez returned with acclamation to his post as vice chairman. Other elected members include Mojeed Adegbile, Dotun Coker, Aramide Cole. The new board was immediately sworn in by Abdulrasheed Ibrahim, a lawyer and public notary.
With the re-election of Akinwunmi, he becomes the fourth member of the NFF Board to be returned as head of their various affiliate constituencies of the NFF General Assembly.
On Sunday, Yusuf Ahmed Fresh retained his seat as Chairman of Niger State Football Association. Almost at the same time that the Lagos FA Elections were on, two other Members of the NFF Executive Committee were overwhelming choices of their State congresses for a further term in office.
Chidi Ofo Okenwa, Chairman of the Nigeria National League, was runaway choice of the congress of Enugu State Football Association, just as Mohammed Alkali, Chairman of the Nigeria Nationwide League One, was overwhelmingly endorsed by the congress of the Nasarawa State Football Association.
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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