Nigerian Football
IN-FORM SUPER EAGLE, IHEANACHO RECORDS HIS FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE HATTRICK IN LEICESTER’S 5-0 ROUTING OF SHEFFIELD UNITED
Kelechi Iheanacho’s first Premier League hat-trick helped Leicester to a 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United to consolidate their place in the top four.
It was a nightmare start to Paul Heckingbottom’s interim tenure. He replaced the departed Chris Wilder late on Saturday, with Sheffield United mustering just one shot on target at the King Power Stadium and suffering their heaviest defeat of the season.
Iheanacho (39) opened things up in the first half as he tapped home a sweeping Jamie Vardy cross to score in three successive Premier League games for the first time.
But it was after the break when Leicester truly overpowered their opponents. Ayoze Perez (64) added the second with a lovely finish, with Vardy once again setting up Iheanacho (69) for his second of the afternoon soon after.
Sheffield United already missing Wilder
- Sheffield United never lost by more than a three-goal margin under Chris Wilder.
- They have now suffered their heaviest defeat in any competition since September 2008 (0-6 v Arsenal, League Cup), whilst this is their heaviest league defeat since April 2000 (0-5 v Blackburn).
- The only time Sheffield Utd conceded 5+ goals in the 227 games under Chris Wilder was in a 5-4 Championship defeat v Fulham in Nov 2017
- Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom became only the third manager in Premier League history to lose by 5+ goals in his first game in charge, after Alan Smith in 1994 (Crystal Palace 1-6 Liverpool) and Roberto Di Matteo in 2010 (West Brom 0-6 Chelsea).
The striker’s hat-trick goal was a thing of beauty as he powered home from 25 yards out, before Vardy’s cross was turned home by Ethan Ampadu at close range to round off a bruising defeat for Sheffield United.
It’s a vital win for Leicester, who move into second above Manchester United and eight points clear of West Ham in fifth, with the two sides facing each other later on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. Sheffield United remain rooted to the bottom of the table with 14 points.
It did not take long for Leicester to start seeing chances fall their way, but were twice denied by Aaron Ramsdale. The first saw Timothy Castagne send a lovely cross into the area, which Perez glanced towards goal. However, the fingertips of Ramsdale sent the ball pinging off the far post.
A few minutes later, Wesley Fofana played a neat pass into the channel for Vardy, but Kean Bryan initially did well to pick it up. However, the Leicester striker muscled him off the ball before striking, but Ramsdale was down low to make a save with his leg before jumping up to collect the looping pass.
Ampadu also made a superb blocked as Youri Tielemans let fly from the top of the area, sending the ball behind with an outstretched foot. However, the Sheffield United defence was found wanting three minutes later when Leicester took the lead.
-SkySports
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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