Nigerian Football
EQUAL RIGHTS! THAT’S WHAT WE DESIRE, SAYS DESIRE OPARANOZIE
“Equal Rights”, like the lyric of the late Jamaican reggae musician, Peter Tosh, Super Falcons skipper, Desire Oparanozie has asked that the women’s senior national team be paid the same amount of money paid to the men’s national team, the Super Eagles.
She made the call at the 2019 Ladies In Sports (LIS) Conference held on Friday, July 26 at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.
“I think we deserve equal pay. We are the most
successful female team in Africa. We have done the nation proud. I believe we
will get there, one step at a time,” Oparanozie said.
She also advocated for the Nigeria Women’s Football League to be televised. “The Nigeria Football Federation must work on getting the women’s league on TV. With that, there will be more eyes on the league and sponsors can come in,” said the En Avant Guingamp striker.
With the theme “Keeping the barriers down”, athletes, journalists, administrators, coaches and many more witnessed the fourth edition of the annual conference founded by ace sports broadcaster, Tega Onojaife.
The NFF 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi opened the discussions on the importance of girls and women in sports, highlighting that sports women have to work harder to get recognition in today’s society.
“One of the things that can help Nigeria reach its potential is to give women opportunities in every area,” Akinwunmi said.
During the first panel session, Kenyan 800m World Champion, Janet Jepkosgei, 2017 Afrobasket Champion, Nkechi Akashili and Athletics blogger, Funmilayo Fameso discussed their journey in sports, the challenges they have faced and more.
Jepkosgei talked about taking a break from sport to have her first child, returning and plans going forward. “Being a mother is the best thing to have ever happened to me,” she said. “It has been a long way coming for me in athletics. I took a three year break and I just won my first race last year.
“Biologically when you come back from a break, you become stronger. It’s the best thing to do but make sure you do it at the right time.” Jepkosgei said.
The second panel session had Ghana Women’s National team coach, Mercy Tagoe, Super Falcons forward, Desire Oparanozie and former Banyana Banyana midfielder, Amanda Dlamini discuss keeping the barriers down in football.
Oparanozie addressed the issue of equal pay while Coach Mercy Tagoe talked about her journey from being a footballer to a referee and a coach. Amanda Dlamini urged footballers to prepare for retirement, as that made it easier for her to transition into sports broadcasting after she hung up her boots.
“Football is not your whole life. You need to get yourself ready for retirement. I had to go to the university to ensure I could do something after I retired,” Dlamini said.
As it was done in previous editions of the conference, five athletes were given grants as a reward for excellent performances in their different sports in 2018. Rivers Angels goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, young Judoka, Adijat Azeez, Wrestler, Sunmisola Balogun, Track and Field athlete, Rosemary Chukwuma and Powerlifter, Esther Onyema were the recipients.
The Head of Human Resource and CSR of Bet9ja, Kikky Boboye and law firm Aluko & Oyebode’s senior associate, Nta Ekpiken and many more spoke during the conference.
The conference was supported by Bet9ja, Zaron Cosmetics, Smooth FM 98.1 FM, IR Digitals, Travel Trilz, Smice Technologies and the Busy Buddies.
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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