Nigerian Football
RIVERS UNITED UP AGAINST LEAGUE LEADERS, LOBI STARS
BY SAMMY WEJINYA.
Rivers United face a stern test on Wednesday in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) as the leaders, Lobi Stars come to town.
United could replace Lobi at the summit of the standings but to do that, they will have to win by at least, three clear goals on Wednesday and hope that Plateau United do not win in Akure against Sunshine Stars.
Beating Lobi Stars by three clear goals will however be anything but straightforward.
Lobi Stars have the best defensive record in the division having let in just five goals in 13 league goals this term.
The Makurdi club have only lost twice this season and head coach, Gbenga Ogunbote says defeat in Port Harcourt in an option his charges will not consider.
“We have high respect for Rivers United considering their pedigree but tomorrow (Wednesday) will be a different game because we are on top (which is a motivating factor on its own) and for us to remain on top, we are talking about winning or drawing so we are not thinking about losing the game at all,” Ogunbote told the official Rivers United FC website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
Lobi Stars is a well-drilled unit with experienced stars available to Ogunbote.
Lazarus John, Ebube Duru, fearsome forward Samad Kadiri, Douglas Achiv and club captain, Ayagwa Raphael have all made the trip to Port Harcourt.
Two former Rivers United players, Nzube Anaezemba and Chinonso Okonkwo, now on the books of Lobi will also give the Makurdi club an extra kick.
Rivers United, Unheralded grafters
After a slow start to the season, United have slowly but surely worked their way up the table.
That Stanley Eguma’s men could go top of the table on Wednesday shows just how much they have flown under the radar.
Eguma’s lads rarely stumble at home and have won five and drawn two of their seven home games this term.
The experienced gaffer is full of respect for Lobi but says victory will be achieved by his team on Wednesday.
“Lobi Stars is a very strong team full of very experienced players and a very good coach. They are not top of the league by accident but we have studied them in detail.
“We know their weakness and will exploit them. I am sure we will win the game on Wednesday,” he said.
Wednesday’s game will be decided at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt.
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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