Nigerian Football
BUKOLA SARAKI SENDS COACH ABDULKADIR TO SCHOOL
BY: OLAYINKA OWOLEWA.
Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) Ilorin FC has sent its assistant coach, Shuaib Abdulkadir on a coaching course.
Abdulkadir who was unveiled alongside the team’s Head Coach, Yomi Elijah on September 26, is among many other coaches across Nigeria attending
Football Coaches Association of African Nations (FCAAN) “D” -Diploma course in Akure the Ondo State.
The founder of FCAAN, Dr Babatunde Terry Eguaoje alongside UEFA A licensed Coach, Kyle Quigley are to take the coaches on the latest in football in the five-day event which began on Monday.
Speaking on the development, the ABS Director of Football (DOF), Alloy Chukwuemeka, said it is promise made and promise kept.
“I mentioned it that we are going to send Abdulkadir on a coaching course when we unveiled him.
“It is not our first time of doing this to our coaches, it is a way to reward their contributions to the development of grassroots football in the state.
“Again, very soon we are going to update this certificate for him as he will proceed to the Nigeria institute of sports for further training” Chukwuemeka said.
The Nigeria Premier Club Owners’ Scribe, said the club will continue to contribute its quota to the development of football in the state by encouraging young players and coaches to become superstars and help more people to achieve their dreams in line with the vision of the owner of the club Dr. Bukola Saraki
Coach Abdulkadir, popularly known as ‘No Fear’, is excited about the opportunity given to him by the club and was full of praises for Chukwuemeka.
“Well, for me it is a dream come through, this is big step in my career as a coach and I will forever be grateful to Chukwuemeka and ABS for the opportunity.
“I am lost of words to describe how I feel about this right now, this will definitely spur me to do more for the grassroots.
“This is a golden opportunity that I will forever live to remember” Abdulkadir said.
ABS will play in the group A1 of the abridged 2019/2020 Nigeria National League (NNL) season and they are to travel to Kada City for their first game when hostilities resume on November 22.
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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