Nigerian Football
MAGICAL SCORER, ONUACHU SCORES AGAIN AS GENK EXTEND UNBEATEN RUN
Super Eagles scorer at Nigeria’s last two Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches, Paul Onuachu, was again on the score sheet as he helped Genk extend their unbeaten run in the Belgian top division.
Genk beat St. Truiden 4-0. The lanky centre-forward has been turning heads this season and against Peter Maes’ men, he increased his tally to ensure his side clinched all three points at Luminus Arena.
Onuachu was afforded his 30th league start of the season and spearheaded the Blue and White attack in the encounter.
Genk started the game impressively, dominating proceedings and deservedly got their opening goal in the 21st minute through Theo Bongonda.
The Blue and White got their second goal four minutes later when Bryan Heynen fired home a fine effort after receiving a timely assist from Junya Ito.
Kristian Thorstvedt made it three for Genk and with four minutes before half-time, St.Truiden got a glorious chance to reduce the deficit when they were awarded a penalty but Yuma Suzuki missed from the spot.
After the restart, the Blue and White continued their domination and increased their lead in the 53rd minute through Onuachu, who hit the back of the net with a sublime effort after benefitting from Kristian Thorstvedt’s assist.
The Super Eagles striker’s effort was enough to seal the Blue and White’s victory in the encounter and extend their unbeaten run to seven games.
With the win, Genk maintain second spot on the Belgian First Division A table after gathering 56 points from 33 games.
Onuachu has now scored 29 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions this season, including 27 in the Belgian top-flight.
The attacker’s impressive goal scoring performances helped him to return to the Nigeria national team when they played the Republic of Benin and Lesotho in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and he scored in each of the outings.
Onuachu will hope to continue his eye-catching performances when Genk take on Royal Antwerp in their next league game on April 18.
The forward has been with the Luminus Arena outfit since the summer of 2019 when he joined the side from Danish club FC Midtjylland.
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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