Nigerian Football
RIVERS UNITED OVERLOAD TIMBERLOADER WITH GOALS
BY SAMMY WEJINYA
A brilliant performance capped by a world class Bright Onyedikachi goal headlined Rivers United’s overflowing 4-0 win over FC Timberloader in the round of 64 of the 2019 AITEO Cup.
Peter Ubankanma scored a brace while Ossy Martins’ delightful header midway into the second half set the tone as the ‘Pride of Rivers’ won at a canter at the Lafia City Stadium, Lafia on Saturday evening.
Ubakanma scored the opener on nine minutes as he struck an indirect free kick with venom from 25 yards.
United had no less than five clear cut-opportunities to increase their advantage in a largely one-sided first half but had to wait until 33 minutes to get their second.
The wait was worth the trouble as the goal was one of extraordinary quality, a strike for the ages and a contender for goal of the tournament.
Winger, Bright Onyedikachi picked up a pass just inside the FC Timberloader half and proceeded on a mazy run which left no less than five defenders in his wake before showing ice-cold precision to fire into the bottom corner.
The Stadium rose in unison to applaud the truly special strike as United smelt blood and honed in for the kill.
Ubankama completed his brace three minutes after the restart with a simple half volley from close range while Martins’ well-placed header on 58 minutes represented the coup de grace.
The Port Harcourt side then took their foot off the gas, knowing the game was won as it was seen out in professional style.
“We do not look down on any team in this type of competition,” Stanley Eguma, technical manager of Rivers United FC, Stanley Eguma told the official website of the club, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng afterwards.
“We were better today and that’s because we played seriously and did not think about the name of the team we were playing against.
“I am particularly happy that we scored four goals today because our problem has always been converting our chances and psychologically, it will help our players who will now know that they can score goals,” Eguma concluded.
Head coach of FC Timberloader, Kasimu ‘Socrates’ Mohammed also took the time to discuss his side’s performance against higher rated opposition.
“This was not a bad game because we have never played against a team at such a high level before.
“Rivers United is a good team and I appreciate the way they play,” he said.
United now march on to the last 32 of the competition knowing that far sterner tests lie ahead.
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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