Connect with us

Nigerian Football

Nigerian-born Italian player, Ogbona helps West Ham win over Everton on Moyes’ return

Published

on

Angelo Ogbonna, an Italian player of Nigerian parentage has helped West Ham manager David Moyes enjoyed a winning return to Everton as Ogbonna’s header sealed a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park on Sunday (Oct 17).

Ogbonna was born to Nigerian parents who emigrated to Italy from Nigeria in 1983, settling in the city of Cassino in the central part of the country, but managed to obtain Italian citizenship only after his 18th birthday. He turned to be the hero for West Ham on Sunday in the match that marked the return of Moyes who had  spent 11 years in charge of the Merseyside club from 2002 to 2013 and is still regarded fondly by Everton fans.

But his relationship with Everton’s current boss Rafael Benitez is less cordial after the Spaniard irritated Moyes by labelling the Toffees a small club during his time at Liverpool.

Benitez apologised for that comment after his controversial appointment as Everton boss in the close-season.

But, with that spat in mind, Moyes may well have taken extra satisfaction from a victory that moved West Ham above Everton in the Premier League.

Benitez was unbeaten in his last nine league meetings with teams managed by Moyes, winning five in a row before this weekend’s encounter.

Advertisement

His dominance over Moyes came to an abrupt halt as Ogbonna headed home with 16 minutes to play, extending West Ham’s unbeaten away record in all competitions this term.

The east Londoners have won five of the six games on their travels, while Everton slumped to their first home defeat this season.

“I want the team to challenge, I want the team to play wherever we go, get us a victory,” Moyes said.

“It is great. We want to keep fighting and do well in the league and in Europe as well.”

Benitez felt aggrieved as Everton claimed Michail Antonio had fouled goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in an aerial challenge that resulted in a corner earlier.

Advertisement

From Bowen’s set piece, the Italy defender rose highest to glance his header past Pickford.

“I have a problem because I am from Spain and normally in Europe, the six-yard box is to protect the keeper,” Benitez said.

“When you have a player blocking the keeper in the six-yard area it is a free-kick.”

-AFP

Advertisement

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Nigerian Football

Behold! Nigeria Football’s October 8 Magic

Published

on

Nigeria’s Godwin Iwelumo terrorising Egypt’s goalmouth 47 years ago in an October 8 match. Nigeria won 4-0 inflicting the worst ever defeat on Egypt in a World Cup qualifier.

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.

Advertisement

 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!

Advertisement

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.
Continue Reading

Nigerian Football

 Rivers flow to the top!

Published

on

aed55841-rivers-united.png

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

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nigerian Football

Enyimba’s duel with Katsina United plunges into darkness

Published

on

Former Nigerian champions, Enyimba were coasting to a comfortable 3-0 lead before the game got enveloped by darkness.

The game could not be completed after 75 minutes when the floodlights of the arena suddenly went off.

According to a post on Enymba x-handle, the match will resume at 8.00 am on Monday “ as agreed by both teams and the match officials.”

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 1-1 Akwa United
  •  Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
  •  Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United
Continue Reading

Most Viewed