Nigerian Football
FC IFEANYIUBAH ATTEMPT UPSTREAM SWIM ACROSS RIVERS UNITED
BY SAMMY WEJINYA
Two undefeated sides in the Nigeria Professional Football League, FC
Ifeanyiubah (FCIU) and Rivers United go toe to toe in one of the stand out
fixtures of game day three of this season’s Nigeria Professional Football
League (NPFL) on Sunday.
Not many gave FCIU a chance to rub shoulders with the big hitters in the
division at the commencement of the campaign and even though it is still early
days, the Nnewi club has so far punched above their weight.
A hard-fought 1-0 win in Nnewi on November 3 (the opening day of the season)
was followed by a gutsy 1-1 draw against Lagos club, MFM FC in Agege on match
day two.
Another home win against Rivers United on Sunday will consolidate an
above-average start for the Anaedo club.
Head coach, Uche Okagbue has built a solid unit around unheralded talent like
Sharp Uzoigwe, Eric Oguocha, Tochukwu Anueyiagu, Charles Okafor, Ikenna Cooper,
Lucius Ozioma, Christian Nnaji and Sebastine Uche with rich dividends reaped in
the nascent stages of the campaign.
The trainer admitted that he has yet to see United play this term and predicts
a touch game in Nnewi on Sunday.
“I have not watched Rivers United this season but I have some information about
them,” Okabgue told the Rivers United FC official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
“I know Rivers United will come out smoking in (Sunday’s) game but by the
special grace of God, we will get the maximum points.
“My message to our (FCIU) fans is that they should troop out to watch us and
give us the maximum points we need against Rivers United (on Sunday),” he said.
United on the other hand are still smitten by their failure to consolidate on
match day one’s impressive 0-0 draw in Kano against Kano Pillars as they drew
1-1 against a plucky Heartland side in Port Harcourt on match day two.
The Rivers United technical manager, Stanley Eguma insists his charges “will
correct the mistakes against Heartland” on Sunday against FCIU.
“Anyone who saw our game against Heartland will wonder why we did not win by at
least three clear goals.
“We dominated from start to finish while they had just one clear chance which
they scored with.
“I am not one to cry over spilt milk as I am sure that with the work we have
put in this week, we will correct the mistakes against Heartland when we face
(FCIU) on Sunday,” he concluded.
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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