Nigerian Football
HEARTLAND HOLDS MEMORIAL FOR 1994 AIR CRASH VICTIMS
Twenty five years after the air crash that claimed five lives, two of whom were players of the then Iwuanyanwu Nationale, the club, now known as Heartland held a memorial on Wednesday at its base in Owerri, Imo State in South East Nigeria.
The air crash occurred while the team was on its return journey from a quarterfinals confrontation with Esperance of Tunisia, an encounter lost by 3-0.
A three hour delay was compounded by inclement weather while the chattered aircraft of Oriental Airlines owned by the then club proprietor, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, was overflying the Sahara Desert.
In
desperate effort to make an emergency landing at Agenat Airport, Tamanrasset in Algerian southern
border with Niger Republic, the plane crashed into a pole, then a lorry and
finally into a fire station building before breaking into two.
Five
died on the spot, including the two pilots, a stewardess and two footballers – midfielder,
Eghomwanre ‘Omale’ Aimanmwosa and goalkeeper Uche Ikeogu.
Some
of the survivors still alive and the management of Heartland came together and paid
respects in a Memorial service for Eghomwanre ‘Omale’ Aimanmwosa and Uche
Ikeogu in Owerri on Wednesday.
According to the director of media and communications for the club, Solomon Onu, the emotional event started with a memorial service at the St Francis Chaplaincy at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, the home ground of the club.
The service became a melting point for members of the football family in Imo State. The General Manager of the club, Chief Chukwudi Ifeanyi led the management team.
The Mass was officiated by Catholic Priest, Father Chika who commended the symbiotic relationship between the club management and the former players of the club.
Among the survivors of the crash is Coach Alphonsus Dike, popularly called Professor. He recalled with nostalgia the events of that fateful day but expressed appreciation to God for sparing his life.
The congregation held a procession from the Dan Anyiam Stadium through major streets of Owerri.
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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