Nigerian Football
FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN AS MOUNTAIN OF FIRE & MIRACLES MIRACULOUSLY ROAST RANGERS AT HOME
Plateau United kept their place at the top with a hard fought 2-1 win against visiting Wikki Tourists of Bauchi at the new Jos stadium before a huge home crowd.
However, the talking point of the day may well be MFM of Lagos second road win against Oriental sides after beating Rangers 1-0 just as they did Heartland on opening day. None of the two wins on the day can diminish Lobi Stars feat in Kano where they had the better of former champions, Kano Pillars.
Wikki began the day level on points with Plateau and were looking on going tops with a possible win away from home as they did on Matchday 2. The Bauchi side took the lead on the 12th minute through Jackson Daniels. However, Coach Andy Maikaba’s men drew level 12 minutes before the break through Mustapha Ibrahim, before Abbar Umar scrambled home Itodo’s throw-in, 10 minutes after the restart for the winner.
Tony Bolus guided MFM to their second win away from home in some stylish fashion, when they stunned Rangers in Enugu, with Chuks Kenedinum’s goal just before the break. Similar result was recorded in Kano, as Pillars, without their inspirational captain, Rabiu Ali, lost by a lone goal to visiting Lobi Stars. Douglas Achiv was the scorer for Coach Gbenga Ogunbote’s side.
At the Enyimba Stadium in Aba, eight time champions, Enyimba stunned Akwa United 3-1, to go second on the log. Austin Oladapo had given Abdallah’s men the advantage on 13 minutes through a penalty, before Stanley Dimgba and Samson Obi grabbed the second and third on 30 and 33 minutes respectively. Mfon Udoh’s clever chip could only help reduce the deficit for the Promise Keepers six minutes before the break.
Tasiu Lawal’s penalty on 64 minutes helped Katsina United to a lone goal victory at home to visiting Nasarawa United. Danladi Umar had earlier denied the striker from a similar scenario on the 40th minute.
Elsewhere, Phillip Auta’s effort on 32nd minute salvaged a point for Abia Warriors at home to Kabiru Dogo’s Sunshine Stars. The Akure side earlier took control of the game with Fuad Ekelejuoti’s goal on 19 minutes.
Less than 42km away from Umuahia, Heartland FC had to rely on Nnonshiri Samuel’s 63rd minute penalty, to salvage a point at home to visiting Akwa Starlets FC. The Uyo side drew first blood through Femi Ajayis goal six minutes before the break.
Chigozie Chilekwu’s header was the difference between FC IfeanyiUbah and Rivers United in Nnwei, while Efe Yarhere and Sunday Williams aided Warri Wolves to a 2-0 win at home to newcomers Adamawa United.
Mubaraka Abdulsallam, Isaac Oduro, Otukhe Egbo and Williams Nmesitionye were the scorers as Delta Force humbled Jigawa Golden Stars 4-1. The visitors consolation came through Ali Musa on 62 minutes.
Full Time Results
Plateau Utd 2-1 Wikki Tourists
Delta Force 4-1 Jigawa GS
Kano Pillars 0-1 Lobi Stars
Heartland 1-1 Akwa Starlets
FC Ifeanyi Ubah 1-0 Rivers Utd
Rangers 0-1 MFM
Warri Wolves 2-0 Adamawa Utd
Abia Warriors 1-1 Sunshine Stars
Enyimba 3-1 Akwa Utd
Katsina Utd 1-0 Nasarawa Utd
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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