Nigerian Football
AITEO CUP: BIG TEAMS EYE ROUND OF 32 SPOTS
Following the conclusion of the Super 6 that finally brought the curtain down on the Nigeria Professional Football League season, all the attention is now on the national finals of the AITEO Cup 2019 which remaining matches of the Round of 64 come up this weekend.
Enyimba FC, the ‘People’s Elephant’ are up against Kano Pillars Feeders at the Kwara Sports Complex in Ilorin on Sunday, but on Saturday, Cup holders Rangers International of Enugu and Niger Tornadoes Feeders clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan and Rivers United will cross swords with Timber Loaders in Lafia.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu is the venue for the clash between Abia Warriors and Heartland Comets, while Yobe Desert Stars face Ambassador FC in Bauchi and Lokoja Township Stadium welcomes Gombe United and FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders.
Katsina United and Gwandu United will battle things out in Gusau; Jigawa Golden Stars and Insurance FC are up in arms at the Bako Kontagora Stadium, Minna and; Damaturu will bubble for Wikki Tourists of Bauchi and Setraco United.
On Sunday, last year’s finalists Kano Pillars have a session with Aspire FC at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja and same day, El-Kanemi Warriors will file out against Police of Osogbo at the Lafia Township Stadium.
AITEO CUP MEN’S ROUND OF 64 REMAINING FIXTURES
- Rangers Int’l Vs Tornadoes Feeders (Ibadan, 15 June, 4pm)
- Kebbi United Vs Lobi Stars (Kaduna, 15 June, 4pm)
- Abia Warriors Vs Heartland Comets (Enugu, 15 June, 4pm)
- Ambassador FC Vs Yobe Desert Stars (Bauchi, 15 June, 4pm)
- Rivers United Vs FC Timber Loader (Lafia, 15 June, 4pm)
- Sokoto United Vs Akwa United (Abuja Goal Project, 15 June, 2pm)
- Walli Flamingoes Vs Delta Force (Abuja Goal Project, 15 June, 4pm)
- Gombe United Vs FC IfeanyiUbah Feeders (Lokoja, 15 June, 4pm)
- Niger Tornadoes Vs Fasbir FC (Birnin Kebbi, 15 June, 4pm)
- Enyimba FC Vs Kano Pillars Feeders (Ilorin, 16 June, 4pm)
- Gwandu United Vs Katsina United (Gusau, 15 June, 4pm)
- Jigawa Golden Stars Vs Insurance FC (Minna, 15 June, 4pm)
- Police Osogbo Vs El-Kanemi Warriors (Lafia, 16 June, 4pm)
- Setraco United Vs Plateau United (Makurdi, 15 June, 4pm)
- Wikki Tourists Vs Qatar FC (Damaturu, 15 June, 4pm)
- Layin Zomo FC Vs Sunshine Stars (Lokoja, 16 June, 4pm)
- Katsina United Feeders Vs Nasarawa United (Kaduna, 16 June, 4pm)
- Kwara United Vs Ben Ayade FC (Neros Nanka, 15 June, 4pm)
- Aspire FC Vs Kano Pillars (Abuja Goal Project, 16 June, 4pm)
AITEO CUP MEN’S ROUND OF 64 RESULTS
- Gateway United 1 Almar FC 0
- Warri Wolves 2 Doma United 1
- Cynosure 2 Mighty Jets 2 (Cynosure win 5-4 after penalties)
- Yobe Desert Feeders 0 Smart City 1
- Osun United 0 Shooting Stars 1
- Ekiti United 4 Ebonyi United 0
- Spartans 0 Port Harcourt City 1
- Kogi United 3 Akure City 3 (Kogi United win 3-0 after penalties)
- Amanda FC 1 Calabar Rovers 2
- FC De-Leo 1 EFCC 1 (EFCC win 5-4 after penalties)
- Aklosendi FC 3 Zabgai FC 1
- Crown FC 3 Bayelsa United Feeders 0
- Adamawa Heroes 0 ABS FC 7
AITEO CUP WOMEN’S ROUND OF 16 TEAMS
- Rivers Angels
- Adamawa Queens
- Nasarawa Amazons
- Sunshine Queens
- Ibom Angels
- Delta Queens
- Confluence Queens
- FC Robo
- Osun Babes
- Vera Gold Angels
- Bayelsa Queens
- Pelcian Stars
- Edo Queens
- Olori Babes
- Fortress Ladies
- Abia Angels
RESULTS
- Capital City Dove 0 FC Robo 5
- Osun Babes 3 Linda Ayade FC 0 (W/O)
- Police Machine 2 Vera Gold Angels 3
- Solo Wonders 0 Bayelsa Queens 8
- Crystal Academy 1 Pelican Stars 2
- Edo Queens 20 YEF Queens 0
- Olori Babes 3 Moje Babes 2
- Young Talents 99 0 Fortress Ladies 0 (Fortress Ladies win 4-3 after penalties)
- Kaduna Queens 1 Abia Angels 3
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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