Nigerian Football
NFF boss, Pinnick attends Etebo’s 1st training at Watford
President of the Nigeria Football Federation and FIFA Council Member, Amaju Melvin Pinnick was in ecstasy at Hertfordshire, England on Saturday as he watched the first training session of Nigeria midfield ace, Oghenekaro Etebo who recently joined English Premiership side Watford FC from Turkey’s Galatasaray.
Hard-tackling Etebo has been a key figure in the Super Eagles’ set-up since impressing at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, where the U23 boys won Team Nigeria’s only medal at the games – a bronze.
He featured prominently in the qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, played at the FIFA World Cup in Russia and also featured in the qualifying race and finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
He was also influential in the squad that won the ticket to the 2021 AFCON.
“Watford FC is gradually becoming a Super Eagles’ camp,” said a beaming Pinnick as he met with Club’s Technical Director, Cristiano Giaretta.
“I told Mr Giaretta that we have six players at Watford FC
now and three of them are regular Super Eagles teamers and therefore, we need to forge a stronger relationship with the club.
“Watford is returning to the Premiership in the coming season, so it is a good feeling all around.”
Apart from Etebo, there are also at Watford FC Super Eagles’ deputy skipper William Ekong, forward Emmanuel Dennis, former junior internationals Isaac Success and Tom Dele-Bashiru, and little-known Dapo Mebude.
Between 2014 and 2017, former Super Eagles’ star Jude Odion Ighalo (top scorer at the 2019 AFCON) pulled up some trees at Watford FC, scoring a total of 36 goals in 90 matches in all for the Hornets.
“It is important to build these relationships. I am scheduled to meet with the Club President and CEO of Watford FC in the coming weeks, and I also plan to meet with the CEOs of Leicester and Everton FC.
“We are looking ahead to the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2021 AFCON taking place early next year and relationships, understanding and mutual respect are key elements in the mix of release and return of players.”
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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