Nigerian Football
SEASON’S 1ST SCORER, AMADI, LOOKS TO TOPPLE IDOL, MFON UDOH’S NPFL RECORD
BY CHIBUOGWU NNADIEGBULAM
It was a remarkable start to life in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) for Samuel Amadi who claimed a part of the new season’s stats with the first goal of the 2019/2020 season which kicked-off on Sunday, November 3.
But despite the weight of his achievement, Amadi would ascribe
it to being lucky to have been in the right place at the right time and
was quick to lay down that his utmost desire – which is his first in the
topflight – is to become the top scorer.
“I will just keep pushing harder to score more. I want to be the highest
goal scorer by luck or by grace,” declared the product of
Port Harcourt-based A&B Football Academy.
He signed his first professional contract with Warri Wolves in 2017, while
the club was in the Nigeria National League (NNL), and contributed to
their return to the NPFL. This is his third season with the Seasiders.
On the opening day of the new season, Amadi refused to be overwhelmed by
the occasion when he dispatched a left-footed shot from close range to
give his side the lead inside two minutes. And if not for
Adewale Adeyinka’s fingertip save, he could have been celebrating a
brace about a minute later.
Although it was Mfon Udoh’s equalizer that doused the excitement that came
with Amadi’s quick-fire goal, the latter confessed his admiration for the
former in a chat with www.npfl.ng shortly after the encounter.
“Mfon Udoh is a very good striker. I’m looking up to him,”
Amadi disclosed. Only last season, Udoh was joint top scorer in the NPFL,
and since 2014 he has been the league’s record goal scorer.
Since joining Warri Wolves, Amadi, who is from Rivers State, has been a
consistent performer. He is now looking to own the NPFL stage and help his
team to a continental ticket.
“With teamwork, prayers and hard work, I’m sure we will get
there,” he said. Speaking about their performance against a star-studded
Akwa United side, he added: “It was okay. At least we tried, but I think
my team will pick up with time, although Akwa United are a very good
side.”
In the game, Amadi, who also had set piece responsibilities, twisted his
ankle when he slipped while trying to take a corner kick in the second
half, and had to be replaced on the 72nd minute. But he had already done
enough to attract plaudits.
“Amadi is just a young boy coming up and as far as modern football is concerned he has a future,” Warri Wolves coach, Evans Ogenyi told www.npfl.ng.
The former Lobi Stars Manager does not regret giving Amadi a place in his
starting line-up, even though the latter only just returned from the
national U-23 camp.
“A young boy that is just coming from the national team
there is no way I would take him out of the team. He came two days to my
match and because I know he is coming from a high level training too, I
had to include him. And it’s better he started. He started and he proved a
point, scored a goal in the first two minutes,” Ogenyi boasted.
Amadi, who believes one “needs more wisdom” to succeed in the NPFL,
is hoping to get completely fit in time to be available for
selection when Warri Wolves travel to Akure to face Sunshine Stars in
their next game.
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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