Nigerian Football
EX UNITED’S SKIPPER, GARY NEVILLE KICKS AGAINST IGHALO DEAL
Manchester United’s late swoop for Nigerian international striker Odion Ighalo was the most striking move of a quiet transfer deadline day for Premier League clubs on Friday.
Marcus Rashford’s back injury had left United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with only Anthony Martial and 18-year-old Mason Greenwood as strikers.
Ighalo,
30, joins on loan for the rest of the season from Chinese side Shanghai
Shenhua. He scored 40 goals in 100 appearances for Watford in his previous
spell in England and United will hope he is just as prolific as they try to
chase down Chelsea for a place in the top four.
But the signing has been met with bemusement from several quarters. Ex-United captain Gary Neville was at a loss for words when he tweeted: “I’ve been trying to find the words to describe what I think about the Ighalo signing . I can’t…”
Former Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock was more scathing, telling Sky Sports News: “I’m not sure he’s the right player for United. He’s not consistent and isn’t the right type of player. They want young players. Why didn’t they go for (Southampton striker) Danny Ings? He’s someone similar to Rashford. It’s desperation.”
United, who let Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez leave last summer, have been linked with a host of strikers including Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani, Hertha Berlin’s Krzysztof Piatek, Bournemouth’s Joshua King, Atletico Madrid’s Nikola Kalinic, Norwich’s Teemu Pukki and Ings.
Solskjaer backed his new acquisition though and said: “Odion is an experienced player. He will come in and give us an option of a different type of centre-forward for the short spell he’s staying with us.”
The Red Devils did land the biggest move of the window, signing Portuguese international midfielder Bruno Fernandes for an initial 55 million euros (S$83.3 million) that could rise to €80 million in add-ons.
But deals were difficult to do for many of the world’s richest clubs as Chelsea and Tottenham were frustrated in their search for a striker.
Spurs did make one significant signing in Dutch international winger Steven Bergwijn for £27 million (S$48.7 million) from PSV Eindhoven as well as making Giovani Lo Celso’s loan deal from Real Betis into a permanent move to replace Christian Eriksen, who departed for Inter Milan.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard cut the most frustrated figure as they failed to add anyone despite the lifting of their transfer ban.
English clubs collectively spent over £200 million, well short of the record £430 million outlay in 2018.
The mid-season window is increasingly seen as an undesirable time to do business for clubs wary of overpaying in a seller’s market.
Runaway leaders Liverpool had no such need to dive into the market, particularly after leaping on a £7.25 million buyout clause in Japanese international Takumi Minamino’s contract with Red Bull Salzburg in December.
Sheffield United armed their attempt to qualify for Europe for the first time with a club record £22 million signing of Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge from Genk.
-AFP/Reuters
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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