Nigerian Football
CAN WARRI WOLVES GET ROUND THE RIVERS IN AITEO CUP ROUND OF 16 INTO QUARTER FINALS?
BY SAMMY WEJINYA
Rivers
United return to AITEO Cup duty on Sunday when they face Warri Wolves in the
round of 16 of the competition.
The Wolves reached this stage by devouring unfancied Kaduna club, Ambassador
FC, 1-0 in the round of 32 at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja and have now set
their sights on a place in the last eight.
Doma United were Wolves’ opponents in the round of 64 so Sunday’s game against
Rivers United at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa will represent the Warri
club’s first real test of the competition this year.
Can the sleeping giants stir from hibernation?
Warri Wolves currently ply their trade in the second tier of Nigerian football
but the institution has a fairly healthy history steeped in tradition.
Wolves represented Nigeria in the CAF Champions League in 2016 but were knocked
out in the first round.
Four years later, the club returned to the continent where they reached the
round of 16 of the CAF Confederation Cup.
Two second round finishes in the same competition followed in 2012 and 2014 as
the Wolves unsuccessfully tried to smash the glass ceiling under former coach,
Paul Aigbogun.
As NPA, Wolves had played in the first round of the now defunct CAF Champions
League.
Success in this year’s AITEP Cup will see Wolves return to familiar terrain –
their old stomping ground, the continent.
Stellar names like Ike Thankgod, Ambrose Uanzekin, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Sunday
Mba and Ogenekaro Etebo have previously pulled the storied strips of Wolves but
these days, the defenders of the badge are a little less stellar.
Head coach, Kester Ojo-Osagie will be relying on his trusted charges, Onome
Onotafe, Igho Akporiri Walter, Samson Gift, Orukpe Innocent and Ibo Uro.
Other Wolves stars who will be looking to set the Cat amongst the Pigeons in
the United camp include Onyebuchi Ogwu, Amadi Samuel, Nwafor Ikechukwu,
Atshimene Charles, Ebuka Nnebuo and Ebule Jonathan.
Nnebuo was a former United midfielder and the playmaker will be extremely
important for the Wolves if they are to upset the applecart and reach the
quarter finals.
Chief Executive Officer of Warri Wolves, Moses Etu is upbeat about Sunday’s
game and predicts a difficult time for the ‘Pride of Rivers’.
“We got to this stage against all odds. Rivers United is a big team so if they
beat us, it is not going to be news, but if we beat them, it will be headline
news,” Etu said.
“We respect them because they have star players and a great manager, Stanley
Eguma.
“Hopefully, we will give them a good run for their money. If they win, they
will suffer for the victory,” Etu promised.
United poised and focused
Rivers United have been quietly, steadily and consistently going about their
business in this year’s AITEO Cup.
Performances have been solid and the team spirit has never been better with the
ranks of the ‘Pride of Rivers’.
A 4-0 win over FC Timberloader in the round of 64 in Lafia was followed by a
classy 3-0 win over tournament favourites, Akwa United.
Rivers United look a frightening proposition and Stanley Eguma’s men have not
conceded a single goal in the tournament.
“Winning against Akwa United has built so much confidence and now, our target
is to go as far as we can in this competition,” Eguma, the technical manager of
United told the club’s official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
Peter Ubakanma who has scored twice in the competition already, was also upbeat
when he shared his pre-match thoughts.
“Wolves are an experienced side but we are in very good form at the moment and
I think that will be the crucial factor,” he said.
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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