Nigerian Football
JIGAWA GOLDEN STARS, AKWA STARLETS DEBUT AS NPFL NEW SEASON KICKS OFF
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE
The 2019/20 season finally opens in eight centres across the country after some delays. Title holders Enyimba and Federation Cup defending champions Rangers will be excused to face continental assignments.
Jigawa Golden Stars will be marking their debut in the topflight when they file out at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi to face Wikki Tourists.
The Badaru Boys had emerged from Northern Group A2 of the Nigerian National League at the end of last season and then defeated NAF FC 3-2 in the promotion playoffs, while Wikki Tourists, the Giant Elephant, finished seventh in Group A of the NPFL last term to stay safe.
Another debutante Akwa Starlets will also make their bow on the road, this time to Delta Force, which acquired Kada City FC of Kaduna last season. The Starlets emerged victorious in Southern B2 of the NNL and then dispatched Shooting Stars 3-0 in the promotion playoffs.
Delta Force, now based in Asaba, were seventh on the log in Group B of the NPFL in the preceding season.
Adamawa United, also a promoted side, will be away to FC Ifeanyi Ubah as they celebrate their return to the topflight after 12 years of absence. United beat FRSC 2-1 in the promotion playoffs.
Their hosts this evening ended last season as third placed team in Group B of the regular season but became the whipping side of the Super Six losing all five matches and conceding 14 goals as against six converted.
At the Warri Township Stadium, Warri Wolves will count on their fans who have been denied NPFL action since they got relegated at the end of the 2015/16 season.
Wolves topped Southern B4 zone of the NNL and beat Dynamite FC on penalties in the promotion playoffs.
For Wolves, memories of that season’s last day actions linger. They and MFM FC had gone into Matchday 38 needing to win to stay afloat, both playing on their home grounds and the Lagos side posting only goal difference advantage.
The matches ended with the same scoreline of 1-0, MFM beating FC Ifeanyi Ubah to avoid relegation, while Warri Wolves, whose Chairman is NFF President Amaju Pinnick, dropped to the lower division despite their victory over already relegated Ikorodu United. Only a five-goal margin separated MFM and Warri Wolves.
Last season’s runners-up Kano Pillars will welcome Rivers United to Sani Abacha Stadium, the latter hoping to improve on last season’s showing when they marginally missed the Super Six.
Four-time Nigerian champions, Pillars failed to make a mark in the continent this season losing at the first time of asking to Ghana’s Asante Kotoko 4-3 aggregate in CAF Champions League.
Another top clash is in Jos where 2018 champions Lobi Stars will be guests of 2017 winners Plateau United. United did not impress last season as they almost got relegated from Group B, only beating El-Kanemi Warriors and Gombe United by goal difference. Lobi Stars, who made it to the Super Six, however lost three of five matches to finish fifth.
If the League Management Company and other stakeholders remain faithful to the calendar will end on May 31 next year.
Matchday 1:
Wikki Tourists v Jigawa Golden Stars
Plateau United v Lobi Stars
Delta Force v Akwa Starlets
Kano Pillars v Rivers United
Heartland v MFM
FC Ifeanyi Ubah v Adamawa United
Warri Wolves v Akwa United
Abia Warriors v Katsina United
Postponed Fixtures
Rangers v Sunshine Stars
Enyimba v Nasarawa United
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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