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JOSEPH ARIBO IS NIGERIA’S 60TH SCORING DEBUTANT!

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Scottish Premiership club player, Joseph Oluwaseyi Temitope Ayodele-Aribo has become Nigeria’s 60th player to score in first appearance for the national team.

Aribo in Scottish Rangers’ colours

He found the net barely four minutes in Nigeria’s friendly match with Ukraine on Tuesday night at Dnipro-Arena.

The 23-year-old was born in England, but is eligible to play for the Super Eagles.  

“I am really happy to have got this call-up to Nigeria and I just want to make the most of it and play as long as possible,” Football Scotland quoted him as saying on a Nigerian YouTube channel.

“I just do what I can for the team and make sure that we continue being the best that we can be.”

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Aribo moved to Ibrox on a free transfer from Charlton this summer, and has made 12 appearances so far

His impressive performance could be an indication of what should be expected from him in the days leading to the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying series.  

Sports Village Square recalls that the midfielder with attacking instinct has now joined the rank of other notable Nigerian players – Obafemi Martins, Finidi George, Uche Okechukwu, Thompson Usiyan and Matthias Obianika among others who scored in the very first time they played for Nigeria.

The last scoring debutant before Aribo was Bryan Idowu in November 2017 when Nigeria defeated Argentina 4-2.

It has been long that a previously uncapped player found the net. Peter Utaka and Osas Idehen did score for a second string Nigerian side of 2010 in the 5-2 demolition of Congo DR in a friendly tie in Abuja.

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Iwobi too missed being a scoring debutant has his first goal for Nigeria after having been substitute in two previous matches with Congo and Cameroon in friendly matches played in Vise, Belgium in October 2015.

The first scoring debutant for Nigeria was Tesilimi Balogun, in whose name a stadium in Lagos is named. It was against Sierra Leone in both countries’ maiden international duel on October 8, 1949, that he achieved his feat.

The last time Nigeria presented the full complement of its national team in Lagos was 2001 in an African Nations Cup qualifier. Victor Agali, having his first cap, scored the solitary goal of the encounter.

Obafemi Martins was also another scoring debutant when he found the net in Nigeria’s 3-0 demolition of Republic of Ireland in a friendly game on May 29, 2004 in London.

Barely six months later, Ayodele Makinwa joined the exclusive club when he score Nigeria’s only goal in a 2-1 loss to South Africa on the occasion of Mandela Challenge tie in Johannesburg. That was the first time South Africa scored and beat Nigeria.

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NIGERIA’S SCORING DEBUTANTS

PLAYER MATCH/ DATE VENUE

  1. Balogun Tesilimi Sierra Leone  October 8, 1949 Freetown
  2. Okoh Friday – 2 goals Gold Coast    October 20, 1951 Lagos
  3. Asoluka Cyril Gold Coast    October 20, 1951 Lagos
  4. Anieke Peter Gold Coast    October 20, 1951 Lagos
  5. Okere Titus   Gold Coast    October 20, 1951 Lagos
  6. Okwudili Daniel Gold Coast    October 27, 1956 Lagos
  7. Longe Julius   Gold Coast    October 27, 1956 Lagos
  8. Ejoh Hubert Gold Coast    October 27, 1956 Lagos
  9. Noquapor Patrick – 2goals v. Ghana October 27, 1957 Accra
  10. Ijeomah Isaac      Ghana        October 27, 1957 Accra
  11. Buraimoh Abudu – 2Goals v. Ghana October 25, 1958 Lagos
  12. Onyali Elkana v. Ghana October 10, 1959 Lagos
  13. Ohiri Christopher v. Ghana October 10, 1959 Lagos
  14. Chukwumah Egwuonu v. Tunisia December 10, 1961 Tunis
  15. Egbuonu Johnny v. Cameroon January 1, 1963, Yaounde
  16. Udemezue Chris v. Cameroon January 1, 1963, Yaounde
  17. Olatunji Lasisi v. Guinea July 27, 1963 Lagos
  18. Anieke Sunday v. Gabon August 28, 1965 Libreville
  19. Mordi Bobo v. Gabon August 28, 1965 Libreville
  20. Olowo-Oshodi Samsideen v. Congo November 5, 1966 Lagos
  21. Aghoghovbia Joe v. Cameroon December 10, 1968 Lagos
  22. Obianika Mathias – 2 Goals v. Upper Volta November 27, 1971 Lagos
  23. Oyarekhua Sunny v. Upper Volta November 27, 1971 Lagos
  24. Popoola Ben v. Cote d’Ivoire July 18, 1974 Lagos
  25. Ibeabuchi Ogidi v. Ghana August 24, 1974 Accra
  26. Usiyen Thompson v. Kenya February 7, 1976 Nairobi
  27. Godwin Iwelumo v. Benin February 14, 1977 Lagos
  28. Onwuachi Martins v. Benin October 14, 1978 Cotonou
  29. Boateng Leotis v. Tunisia July 12, 1980 Lagos
  30. Emmanuel Osigwe v. Tunisia July 12,1980,Lagos
  31. Nwokocha Chris v. Tanzania Dec. 20, 1980 Dar-es-Salam
  32. Ali Bala v. Upper Volta July 18, 1981 Lagos
  33. Adeshina Ademola v. Ethiopia March 7, 1982 Benghazi
  34. Omughele John v. Ghana October 30, 1983 Accra
  35. Sadi Dahiru v. Kenya April 20, 1985 Lagos
  36. Balarabe Abubakar v. Guinea April 9, 1989 Conakry
  37. Adekola Adeolu v. Guinea April 22, 1989 Ibadan
  38. Oyekanmi Taju v. Cote d’Ivoire January 25, 1990 Kaduna
  39. Okechukwu Uche v. Cote d’Ivoire January 25, 1990 Kaduna
  40. Lawal Dimeji v. Togo August 18, 1990 Lagos
  41. Finidi George v. Burkina Faso July 27, 1991 Lagos
  42. Taiwo Wasiu v. USA June 11, 1995 Boston
  43. Fatusi Tesilimi v. Czech Rep. Dec, 11, 1996 Casablanca
  44. Zeigbo Kenneth v. Cameroon August 7, 1997 Tunis
  45. Garba Ahmed v. Iran Jan. 28, 1998 Hong Kong
  46. Aghahowa Julius v. Morocco February 3, 2000 Lagos
  47. Ishola Shuaibu v. Malawi June 4, 2000 Kano
  48. Agali Victor v. Zambia January 13, 2001 Lagos
  49. Opabunmi Femi v. Kenya May 4, 2002 Lagos
  50. Ogochukwu Ileagwu v. Senegal October 12, 2002 Dakar
  51. Ogechukwu Uche v. Ghana December 15, 2002 Accra
  52. Akwueme Emeka v. Jordan April 28, 2004 Lagos
  53. Martins Obafemi v. Ireland May 29, 2004 London
  54. Makinwa Ayodele v. South Africa Nov. 17, 2004 Johannesburg
  55. Akabueze Chukwuma v. Kenya May 27, 2007 Nairobi
  56. Peter Utaka v. Congo DR March 3, 2010 Abuja
  57. Osas Idehen v. Congo DR March 3, 2010 Abuja
  58. Ehiosun Ekigho v. Sierra Leone February 9, 2011, Lagos
  59. Bryan Idowu. v.  Argentina, November 14, 2017
  60. Joseph Aribo  v. Ukraine September 10, 2019

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

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Mateus Mane in England's colour

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.

Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.

Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.

He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.

With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.

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Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.

While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.

-Reuters

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International Football

Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach

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After 107 matches spanning nine years, Aliou Cisse will not have his contract renewed as Senegal coach, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Of the 107 matches, Cisse’s team won 70, drew 24 and lost 13.

But the impressive scorecard is not enough to impress his employers.

Thus, the end beckons for Cisse’s successful nine-year spell in charge of the side that included a first Africa Cup of Nations title and two World Cup qualifications.

He had been under increasing pressure after Senegal’s surprise last 16 exit at the 2023 Cup of Nations when they lost on penalties to hosts Cote d’Ivoire.

Senegal are unbeaten in six matches since then, but home draws with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso, and criticism from certain quarters over their style of play, made up the mind of the country’s sports ministry, who fund the salary of the national team coach, that a change was needed.

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“The FSF would like to thank Aliou Cisse for his good collaboration and his brilliant results at the head of the various national selections that he has managed since his arrival in 2011 and wish him every success for the future,” the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said in a statement.

FSF added Cisse’s exit stemmed from a failure to fulfil the targets in his last contract, which expired at the end of August, which included victory at the 2023 Cup of Nations and reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

They also said the “regression of our national team in the FIFA rankings and the risk of disaffection between our national team and the Senegalese (public)” had played a role.

The FSF will appoint an interim technical team to lead the side in Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi at home on Oct. 11 and away four days later.

Cisse, 48, was captain of Senegal when they reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup with what is heralded as a golden generation of players.

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He briefly had a spell as caretaker coach of the national team in 2012, but took over full time three years later.

He led Senegal to 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualification, making the last 16 in the latter before losing to England. They were beaten in the final of the 2019 Cup of Nations by Algeria.

The side made up for that disappointment when they beat Egypt in the final two years later to be crowned African champions for the first time.

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Why  FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o

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Always in the news for bad reasons, Samuel Eto’o has again made global headlines. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned the former striker and the current president of the Cameroon Football Federation.

He is banned from attending Cameroon’s matches for the next six months for violating conduct rules during the recent U-20 Women’s World Cup, where his national team faced Brazil in the round of 16.

According to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, Eto’o was found to have breached articles 13 (“Offensive behaviour and violations of fair play principles”) and 14 (“Misconduct of players and officials”) of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code.

The sanction stems specifically from the match between Brazil and Cameroon, held on September 11 in Bogotá, Colombia. As a result, Eto’o will be prohibited from attending any matches involving Cameroon’s national teams, both male and femaleacross all age groups.

“Mr Eto’o has been notified today, the date on which the sanction comes into force,” stated the FIFA press release.

This is not the first time Eto’o has faced controversy. He previously drew attention for his behavior towards players and national team coach Marc Brys, whom he allegedly threatened in front of cameras if his directives were not followed.

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During the Qatar World Cup, the former Real Madrid, Mallorca, and Barcelona player made headlines again after assaulting a fan who filmed him outside a stadium after a match.

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