Nigerian Football
DISCIPLINARY COUNT GIVES NASARAWA UTD’S SANUSI THE EDGE TO BECOME NIGERIAN LEAGUE TOP SCORER
Ibrahim Sanusi of Nasarawa United has been declared the highest goals scorer in the just ended regular season of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
He tied with Akwa United’s Mfon Udoh on ten goals at the completion of matches going into the championship’s playoff to determine the season’s champions.
The League Management Company (LMC), organisers of the Nigerian football league, in arriving at the decision to declare Sanusi the top scorer of the season relied on provisions in Rule A9.4, A9.5-2 which stipulated considerations to choose the lead scorer in the event of a tie of two or more players.
Disciplinary records, which are the second consideration to break a tie, favoured Sanusi as he only bagged a yellow card all through the season as against two recorded for Udoh.
Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar in making this known, said “from our records, Ibrahim Sanusi of Nasarawa United and Mfon Udoh of Akwa United have ten goals to their credit but the Framework and Rules of the NPFL made provisions for determining the top scorer should there be a tie as has happened”
We have considered the provisions including Rule A9.4 which prescribed that the player that scored the highest number of goals at the end of the season shall be declared as highest goal scorer”.
Abubakar further cited Rule A9.5, which states that If two or more players scored the same number of goals, the next consideration as listed on Rule A9.5.1 is that the player with the least number of goals from the penalty spot.
“Again, we have ascertained from the records that both players scored twice for their respective clubs from the penalty spot which led us to the next consideration in Rule A9.5.2 which states that the player with the better disciplinary records in terms of the least number of caution and expulsion cards will be declared as highest goal scorer for the season’, Abubakar clarified further
It would have been the second season that recently married Udoh would finish as top scorer had he clinched the award. He still holds the record of the most goals in the league for a season after he netted 23 goals in the 2013/14 season playing for former Champions, Enyimba International.
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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