Nigerian Football
AHMED MUSA, ODION IGHALO, SEYI AKINWUNMI, GOV, IFEANYI OKOWA EMERGE PITCH AWARD WINNERS
Super Eagles striker and Al Nassr sensation, Ahmed Musa and Super Falcons player Francisca Ordega both won the top prizes of King and Queen of the Pitch last night at the 6th award ceremony of the Nigeria Pitch Awards.
The award ceremony which held after the International Friendly between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Warriors of Zimbabwe was attended by Seyi Akinwunmi First Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ahmed Fresh, NFF Board member, Chiedu Ebie, Secretary to the Delta State Government, Olayinka Adeleke, State Police Commissioner, Coach, technical crew and members of the Super Eagles.
Speaking at the ceremony, Seyi Akinwuni who represented the NFF President, commended the organizers of the awards stressing that putting an award together required a lot of effort. He reiterated the support of the Federation for the Pitch Awards.
Shina Philips, President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards expressed appreciation of the organizers to the Federation and the Delta State Government. He said the organizers remained committed to giving Nigerians a transparent and credible awards.
‘We will continue to do what is right because we believe our players need to be motivated by a transparent and credible reward system which will see then earn the respect of everyone in the football community,’ Philips said.
In the Defender of the Year category, William Troost-Ekong of Udinese starved off competition from fellow team mates Leon Balogun and Kenneth Omeruo. In the Goalkeeper’s category, Anorthosis Famagusta goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho beat last year’s winner, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Enyimba International goalie Theophilus Afelokhai to win the prize for the first time. Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi retained the Midfielder of the Year award and Odion Ighalo the Shanghai Shenhua forward was voted the Striker of the Year.
The Sam Okwaraji Award for commitment to Nigeria Football has been one of the high points of previous Awards Ceremonies. Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi, the First Vice President of the NFF and Chairman Lagos FA last night joined Amaju Pinnick and Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah as winners of the prestigious Sam Okwaraji Award. The NFF President had won the previous two editions. Oil giant, Aiteo Group retained the Corporate Sponsor of Football award. Enugu Rangers Coach, Gbenga Ogunbote won the Coach of the Year award while his team carted home the Club of the Year award. Nigeria’s national women team, Super Falcons were voted the Best National Team.
In the media category, Samuel Ahmadu of Goal.com emerged the maiden winner of the Football Journalist of the Year (Online).
Other winners are Johnny Edwards of Complete Sports who was named Football Journalist of the Year (Print), Mozez Praiz of Supersport won the Football Journalist of the Year (TV) and Tony Bekederemo of Brila Sports Radio was voted winner of the Football Journalist of the Year (Radio).
Full List of winners
Goalkeeper of the Year – Francis Odinaka Uzoho
- Defender of the Year William Troost-Ekong
- Midfielder of the Year Wilfred Ndidi
- Striker of the Year Odion Ighalo
- MVP in NPFL Junior Lokosa
- MVP in the NWFL Rasheedat Ajibade
- Queen of the Pitch Francisca Ordega
- King of the Pitch Ahmed Musa
- Coach of the Year Gbenga Ogunbote
- Club of the Year Enugu Rangers
- National Team of the Year Super Falcons
- Referee of the Year Adebimpe Quadri
- Sam Okwaraji Awards Seyi Akinwunmi
- State with the Best Grassroots Football Dev. Prog. – Lagos State
- Football Friendly Gov. of the Year Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa
- Football Journalist of the Year (Print) – Johnny Edwards
- Football Journalist of the Year (Radio)- Tony Bekederemo
- Football Journalist of the Year (TV) – Mozez Praiz
- Football Journalist of the Year (Online)- Samuel Ahmadu
- Corporate Sponsor of Football – AITEO Group
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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