Nigerian Football
RIVERS FLOW INTO NPFL SECOND POSITION
BY SAMMY WEJINYA.
A classy Rivers United performance culminated in a 2-1 victory over Kano Pillars at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt in one of the stand out fixtures of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) on Sunday.
Konan Ruffin and Cletus Emotan netted for the ‘Pride of Rivers’ either side of half time while Rabiu Ali converted a brilliant free kick with practically the last kick of the game to give the raucous visiting fans something to shout about.
The win takes United up to second on the NPFL standings, just a point behind the leaders, Plateau United with the Jos club claiming a share of the spoils at the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi against third-placed Lobi Stars.
Pillars started well and could have taken the lead inside the opening four minutes when Usman Babalolo rattled the Rivers United goalkeeper, Ospino Egbe with a long range drive which was pushed away for a corner.
The hosts slowly grew in stature and began to dominate with their quick passing game which earned them a penalty in the 18th minute after midfielder, Esor Nelson was fouled in the box.
Esor had rounded the Pillars goalkeeper, Joshua Enaholo following some intricate bits of passing and movement and was on the verge of plating an emphatic finish into an unguarded net before he was upended by the startled Enaholo.
Ruffin is a deadly customer from 12 yards and he made no mistakes, firing home with frightening force despite the best efforts of Enaholo, who got a hard to the fierce effort, to send the home fans into fits of euphoria.
The visitors then took over, dominating large stretches of the rest of the half with veteran Ali, enjoying their best chance, a free kick from the edge of the area which he placed well wide in the 41st minute.
United had enjoyed two gilt-edged opportunities before Ali’s moment of indiscretion and had themselves to blame for not taking even one of those to further stretch their lead.
The first fell to Ruffin who latched onto Emotan’s sleek pass on the half hour before blazing into Orbit from a tight angle with just the goalkeeper to beat.
Michael Gopey also went close, a minute later, with a header which Enaholo managed to scramble away for a corner.
Pillars started the second stanza gamely and continue to look dangerous as they stepped on the accelerator in search of the second goal.
Substitute, Ahmad Musa came close in the 82nd minute when he side footed Nyima Nwagua’s inch-perfect cross just wide with just Egbe at his mercy from four yards out.
It was a shocking miss, which was to attract consequences as the hosts made the points safe with a delightful goal five minutes from the end.
A delightful passing move carved open the Pillars backline and Emotan was afforded the luxury of time and space to pick his spot and curl exquisitely past the badly-exposed Enaholo in the Pillars goal.
Ali’s intelligent free kick just before the end represented nothing more than scant consolation for the hosts as referee, Ndubuisi Ukah brought a wonderfully-open and richly entertaining game of football to an end.
Head coach of Pillars, Ibrahim Musa rued his side’s missed chances in the game as he discussed with the official Rivers United FC website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng after the game.
“We need to improve in our finishing. That is the only problem we are facing,” he said.
On his part, technical manager of Rivers United, Stanley Eguma
“We could win the league title if we intensify our efforts because it is very possible. We will not allow the tempo we have built to drop and we cannot allow the little success we have gotten so far to get into our heads now,” he said.
Rivers United have now amassed 36 points from 21 matches and next travel to Okigwe to face Heartland FC in their next game in the competition.
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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