Nigerian Football
TWINKLING, SPARKLING SUNSHINE STARS! STUN WIKKI TOURISTS AT HOME
BY CHRIS OKUNNUWA
Sunshine Stars continue to prove they are good at carting points away from home as they stunned Wikki Tourists in Bauchi on Sunday.
Goals from Anthony Omaka and Fuad Ekelojuoti secured a memorable 2-1 win for Sunshine Stars.
The second successive away victory over the Elephants moved the Coach Kabiru Dogo’s charges to sixth place on the NPFL log with 22 points following 14 rounds of matches.
The Tafawa Balewa Stadium was charged with one of the biggest crowd the league had seen in recent times. However it became obvious the hosts were up against the tough visitors on their home return as Sunshine Stars edged the early battle for territorial domination and possession.
Soon after, the Akure side raced to an early lead off the foot of Omaka who tucked home from a brilliant Timileyin Omo Jesu Ogunniyi’s pass in the 13th minute. It was the least the visitors deserved from early exchanges full of verve and gusty display.
Olorunleke Ojo who enjoyed good cover from a well organised backline was right on call to make some eye-catching saves when desperately needed.
First he denied the hosts from a well-taken free kick in the 20th minute and that was followed up by a commanding save in a one-on-one situation in the 32nd minute. Omo Jesu had an effort at goal repelled by a decisive block in between the hosts’ failed attempt at an equaliser.
Sunshine Stars had a penalty appeal turned down by the referee minutes before the break after Omaka went down under what looked a poorly-timed tackle inside the area.
Two minutes after the restart Omo Jesu almost capped a near-perfect outing with a goal at the near post, but Wikki goalkeeper, Adamu Abubakar reacted fast to deny him from a follow up on Omaka’s effort rebound.
Nonetheless it was 2-0 just after the hour mark as Ekelojuoti found time and space to power home a scorcher from the edge in the 61′.
Sunshine Stars were surprisingly penalised in the 70′ following a tango in the area. Idris Guda stepped up to convert and halve the deficit for the homers.
Adamu Mohammed was sent through fifteen minutes from time, but Ojo showed bravery to frustrate the home crowd with yet another save on the veteran attacker’s effort from point blank.
Sunshine Stars who could have extended the lead through Omaka, Sadeeq Yusuf and Jide Fatokun in additional time finished the contest stronger and in the end returned with a second win from the Northeast in three weeks.
An elated Dogo expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the game, but was quick to switch focus to his side’s next challenge at the post match interview.
“I am very happy for the win, no doubt, its a good result for us. But my mind is already focused on getting another win at home against Plateau United on Wednesday.
“We need to follow this result up with a win at home, otherwise it will be wasted and that’s why I want to call on the good people of Ondo State to come out and support us with unity of purpose on Wednesday.”
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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