Nigerian Football
NPFL: PLATEAU UNITED, MFM GO FOR VICTORY… AGAIN
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE
In preparation for the usage of Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo by the Super Eagles on Wednesday, the Matchday 2 of the Nigeria Professional Football League will not hold on that ground this Sunday.
As a result, newly promoted Akwa Starlets have their fixture against four-time champions Kano Pillars delayed till Thursday, while that of Akwa United against Abia Warriors will be staged at a later date.
Eight centres will come alive with four teams aiming at continuing from where they started the season last Sunday. Plateau United, Wikki Tourists, FC Ifeanyi Ubah and MFM all won on Matchday 1, while Abia Warriors, who also recorded victory, are not on show this weekend.
Leading the field on account of superior goals, Plateau United will be at the 15,000-capacity Hadejia Stadium in Dutse playing against Jigawa Golden Stars, who lost away to Wikki Tourists 1-2 after drawing the first blood. Plateau United, at the New Jos Stadium, overwhelmed former champions Lobi Stars 3-1 on Matchday 1.
There has been no previous encounter in the top flight between Plateau United and Jigawa Golden Stars as the latter are having their debut season in the NPFL.
Wikki Tourists travel about 350 kilometres to Lafia to take on Nasarawa United, whose opening day match against Enyimba was postponed to enable their hosts honour continental engagement.
Both sides were separated last season when the league was broken into two groups. Nasarawa United however won this fixture 1-0 in the 2017/18 season, while the reverse game never took place following the abrupt end to that season.
In Lagos, it will be the clash of two teams who came out with maximum points on the opening day. Memories of the last match of the 2015/16 season will be rekindled as MFM host FC Ifeanyi Ubah.
On the last day of that season, MFM needed to match Warri Wolves point for point to stay afloat.
It was MFM’s first season in the NPFL and they were contesting for survival with the club of the Federation President! Everything – including officiating – was thrown into the simultaneous matches in Lagos and Warri, but MFM eventually triumphed 1-0 against FC Ifeanyi Ubah, the same scoreline Warri Wolves recorded against already relegated Lagos team Ikorodu United.
Since that unforgettable episode, MFM have won three home matches against FC Ifeanyi Ubah, including at Nnewi in the 2017/18 season, while the Anambra Warriors walloped the Olukoya Boys 4-0 in Nnewi in the 2016/17 season.
In Makurdi, 2017/18 champions Lobi Stars will seek to make amends for last Sunday’s defeat in Jos as they host Delta Force. It will be their first meeting in the NPFL. Delta Force (formerly Kada City) were promoted last season but ended up in separate group with Lobi Stars and never got to the Championship playoff phase unlike their the Stars.
Warri Wolves were forced to 1-1 outcome by Akwa United last Sunday at home, and the Amaju Pinnick side visit Akure Township Stadium to chase points against Sunshine Stars, who rested on Matchday 1.
This fixture last happened in the 2015/16 season when Warri Wolves got relegated. It ended 1-0 in favour of the Akure Gunners, who would later be defeated 0-2 in the return leg.
Rivers United host Heartland in Port Harcourt after playing goalless at Kano Pillars last Sunday.
United and Heartland were in separate groups last season. In the 2017/18 season, United won 2-0 at home, while the reverse fixture got caught up in the crisis that rocked the league.
Enyimba open their title defence with a trip to Katsina. Katsina United are still nursing the injuries of their 0-2 loss to Abia Warriors on Matchday 1 and will strive to repeat last season’s 2-1 triumph over the People’s Elephant at the same ground.
Rangers, who, like Enyimba, are awaiting their CAF Confederation Cup group opponents later today, visit newly promoted Adamawa United, who lost to FC Ifeanyi Ubah 0-1 in Nnewi last week.
MATCHDAY 2 FIXTURES:
- Sunshine Stars v Warri Wolves
- Jigawa Golden Stars v Plateau United
- Lobi Stars v Delta Force
- Rivers United v Heartland
- MFM v FC Ifeanyi Ubah
- Katsina United v Enyimba
- Adamawa United v Rangers
- Nasarawa United v Wikki Tourists
Thursday
- Akwa Starlets v Kano Pillars
- Akwa United v Abia Warriors (Date to be decided)
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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