Nigerian Football
NPFL ROUND UP: PLATEAU, WIKKI MAINTAIN PERFECT START TO CAMPAIGN
Plateau United of Jos and Wikki Tourists of Bauchi maintained their perfect start to the campaign by securing victories away from home in Kano and Lafia respectively.
Maikaba’s side notched a lone goal victory to consolidate their place at the top, following their Matchday 1 thumping of Lobi Stars. Jigawa’s goalkeeper, Abdullahi, had himself to blame for handing Nernot Silas a gift that ended as the match winner on 34 minutes.
At the Lafia Township Stadium, Nasarawa United were hoping to get their season underway on a bright note, following their postponed Matchday 1 date with Enyimba, but were stunned when Sixtus Forsah’s effort ten minutes from time gifted Wikki Tourists maximum points.
It was a rousing welcome for Martins Usule in Katsina, as a moment of brilliance just before the break earned Enyimba a point against Ayodele Makinwa’s side. The home side took the lead earlier on the 3rd minute through Tasiu Lawal’s penalty, after he was tripped by Anaemena, inside the penalty box.
Bamba Bakary’s late penalty salvaged Rivers United from imminent defeat at home to Heartland FC. The Naze Millionaires through Christian Pygbara’s goal on 15 minutes, taught they could make up for their Matchday 1 slip at home to MFM, but could not hold to the end.
At the Akure Township Stadium, Sunshine Stars were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Warrior Wolves, while similar result was recorded in the fixture involving Adamawa United and Rangers International of Enugu in Gombe.
Elsewhere Adeneji Kabir’s header for MFM on 37 minutes cancelled Christian Nnaji’s sixth minute strike for visiting FC IfeanyiUbah as MFM settled for a draw at home to the Nnewi side.
Samuel Tiza, Sikiru Alimi, Abdulkareem Mumini and Douglas Achiv were the scorers as Lobi Stars hit four past Delta Force at the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi.
With the games in Uyo (Akwa Starlets v Kano Pillars and Akwa United v Abia Warriors) deferred, Plateau United keep their place at the summit, a goal better than second placed Wikki Tourists, who are also with six points.
RESULTS:
- Adamawa Utd 1-1 Rangers Int’l
- MFM 1-1 FC Ifeanyi Ubah
- Jigawa GS 0-1 Plateau Utd
- Lobi Stars 4-0 Delta Force
- Katsina Utd 1-1 Enyimba
- Nasarawa Utd 0-1 Wikki
- Rivers Utd 1-1 Heartland
- Sunshine Stars 1-1 Warrior Wolves
- Akwa Utd v Abia Warriors PP
- Akwa Starlets v Kano Pillars PP
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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