Nigerian Football
DOGO HAPPY WITH SUNSHINE STARS DRAW AWAY TO ABIA WARRIORS
Sunshine Stars have gone three games without a win in the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) with two draws and a defeat. After their defeat in Enugu to Rangers in a rescheduled MatchDay 1 fixture, Coach Kabiru Dogo whose side had earlier drawn 1-1 at home to Warri Wolves had only encomiums for the players, assuring that they would soon turn up with results.
In Umuahia on Sunday evening, the Akure side failed to defend a one goal lead, allowing Abia Warriors to rally to a draw. Dogo remains impressed and again commended his players.
“I give credit to my players, its not easy to get a point on the road in the NPFL, I would have loved to win here because we have a good record against Abia Warriors, but in all, I believe we can get better,” Dogo told www.npfl.ng after the match
Dogo thinks it’s early day in the season with more matches ahead during which he hopes to see the players become a stronger unit.
“its only MatchDay 3, so I am sure my players will get better as the season progresses. We will go back to Akure to prepare for the game against Enyimba Fc, and its a game we must win, so as to go up the table”, declared the former Nasarawa United coach.
Abia Warrior Fc started the game with same players that played in Uyo on MatchDay 2 against Akwa United, with only striker Abdulsalam Atilola’s place in the Starting XI taken by Ikedinachi Nwakanma.
The first chance of the game came on the 3rd minute to the hosts after Emeka Isaac’s cross from the corner flag was saved by Sunshine stars goalkeeper, Saliu Suleiman.
Two minutes after, Jimoh Oni got his chance for Sunshine but his freekick was also saved by Abia warriors goalkeeper, Godsgift Elkanah.
The “Akure Gunners” continued to dominate possession with Wasiu Jimoh, Timo Ogunniyi, Fuad Ekelejuoti and Uche Ihuarulam causing problems for the Abia Warriors defenders led by captain Austin Obaroakpo and Perfait Jean.
The visitors were rewarded on the 19th minute as Abia Warriors defender, Perfait Jean couldn’t clear his line, allowing Sunshine stars Winger Fuad Ekelujoti to tap home with an assist from Uche Ihuarulam.
With Abia warriors trailing at home after the goal, coach Emmanuel Deutsche had to change formation preferring winger, Philip Auta deployed to the flank to support Jimoh Oni upfront.
However, Abia Warriors got thier equalizer on 32nd minute from a throw-in by Emeka Isaac allowing Philip Auta to score from a rebound after Sunshine stars goalkeeper Suleiman had let the ball off his hands.
Up next for Sunshine stars will be a home fixture against NPFL Champions Enyimba Fc on match day 4, while Abia Warriors Fc will be guests to Adamawa United.
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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