Nigerian Football
SHINNING SUNSHINE STARS DIMMED BY MFM LATE GOAL
BY CHRIS OKUNNUWA
Sunshine Stars recent winning running in the 2019/20 NPFL campaign has been halted as the first instalment of the season’s Southwest derby with MFM ended 1-1 at the Ondo State Sports Complex Thursday.
Adeyinka Nojeem strike late in stoppage time to cancelled out Israel Abia’s goal and denied the Owena Whales a fourth successive victory in the match day nine thrilling encounter.
In a eventful opening half, Anthony Omaka who was re-listed to the starting XI alongside Sunday Abe and Fuad Ekelojuoti had the first real crack at goal with a half volley that was tipped over by goalkeeper, Jerry Isaac in the 31′.
In the 37′ Kabiru Adeniji’s lob from an acute angle caused a big scare for the home crowd. Goalkeeper Saliu Suleiman was already drawn out of his line.
At the stroke of half-time, the hosts splitted MFM’s defence and should have taken the lead through Ekelojuoti who was unmarked in front goal, but his weak effort could not escaped Isaac while a follow up effort from the rebound was miscued by Abia.
11 minutes into the restart Ekelojuoti brilliantly out ran his markers to drill just wide agonisingly from inside the area.
Abia broke the deadlock in the 63′ after staying alerted to capitalise on a mix up in the Olukoya’s Boys’ backline and finished into an empty net.
Abia was close to killing off the contest four minutes from time, but Isaac again made a timely save to deny him at the near-post after a terrific run into the area.
The home fans were stunned deep into stoppage time when the Olukoya Boys secured a share of the spoils through Nojeem’s samshing leveller from a goal mouth melee.
With the point earned Sunshine Stars climbed back into the top four with 15 points from nine matches. The coach Kabiru Dogo charges will next face Rivers United in Portharcourt on Sunday.
*Post Match Reaction*
Dogo who was visibly not just satisfied with the outcome of the game, blamed the draw on his side profligacy in front, but appeared upbeat his boys will overcome the disappointing result in their next game.
_”The boys were distracted psychologically and we failed to win this game beacuse we didn’t take our chances, particularly in the first half, also in the second. But it’s one of those things about football. We are going to work to get it right again from our next match.”_
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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