Nigerian Football
MANCHESTER UNITED BOSS, SOLSKJAER, INTOXICATED BY IGHALO’S FORM
Manchester United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told youngsters to learn from the physical presence of Odion Ighalo, the loan striker. Many critics were left scratching their heads when Manchester United plumped for Odion Ighalo on the last day of the January transfer window, but the loan signing now appears to be a shrewd move.
The former
Nigeria international made it three goals from two starts as the Red Devils,
who opened the scoring through Luke Shaw, beat second-tier Derby 3-0 on
Thursday night to move into the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Having spent
the last three years plying his trade in the Chinese Super League, it was
assumed that Ighalo would be nothing more than a stop-gap measure for United in
the wake of Marcus Rashford’s double stress back fracture.
But the former Watford striker, who took a pay cut to secure his dream move from Shanghai Shenhua, has impressed in his six appearances for the Premier League club, showing glimpses of the form that saw him plunder 15 top-flight goals for the Hornets in the 2015-16 campaign.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has also seen enough from Ighalo, tipping him to make a big impact heading into the business end of the season.
After seeing the visitors seal a last-eight meeting against Norwich at Carrow Road on March 21, he said: “He’s doing what it says on the tin and what we asked for when we signed him… there’s more to come.
“He’ll improve, he’ll get sharper and more used to us. I have no doubt. He has a physical presence.
“You can get the ball up to him and he can keep hold of it. It’s hard to be a centre-back against him when he’s looking for you first and he buys himself half a yard just by that movement.”
At 30, Ighalo has plenty of experience when it comes to going toe-to-toe with aggressive defenders, something Solskjaer is convinced will rub off on youth-team products like Mason Greenwood.
“Sometimes, our young boys, they are not used to that from the academy,” he added. “They are used to, ‘You’re not allowed to tackle me’ almost.
“So, of course, I would like them to look at him and learn a couple of things.”
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand also told BT Sport Ighalo had won him over, owing to his different attributes compared to the usual front pairing of Rashford and Anthony Martial.
On his ability to occupy defenders and play with his back towards the goal, the pundit said: “People and myself included were probably thinking, Odion, where does he fit into all of this?
“If you have an opportunity to sign a player at the beginning of the January window, he is not the guy you are going to sign, but what he does bring is a point. A point where they can focus and play into him from the midfield. He offers the platform to run off.
“Marcus and Anthony want the ball in behind and not to bring people in. He’s in the centre of goal and that’s what he adds to this team.”
Ighalo should be on the bench for tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Manchester City at Old Trafford, but looks set to be introduced at some stage of the derby.
The boyhood United fan is also counting on the 12th man to will the hosts towards a league double – they beat City 2-1 away in December.
“Since I came here, the support I’ve been getting from the fans is amazing,” he told the club website yesterday.
“I’m very happy and I thank them, I want them to keep doing that on Sunday. It’s going to be a massive game, let’s cheer us to victory again.”
– 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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