Nigerian Football
Rivers Angels, the Jewels set to replicate Nigeria’s dominance at maiden CAF Women’s Championship
Founded as Larry Angels in 1986 by a women’s football lover, Lawrence Ezeh, Rivers Angels was renamed by then Rivers state governor’s first lady Eniye Patience Abbe after a takeover in 1991.
Since its establishment, Rivers Angels has been producing some of the most iconic players in the history of Africa women’s football and has been a fertile recruiting ground for the dominant Super Falcons, with record nine titles.
From Uche Eucharia [first coach and player to win Women’s AFCON] to Chioma Ajunwa, [pioneer captain and Nigeria gold medalist] and Perpetua Nkwocha to Asisat Oshoala [combined eight-time winners of Africa Women’s Player of the Year], the club have a back catalogue of stars that is scarcely believable.
“It has been a household name in Nigeria as far back as 1987 and I was the one who helped restructure the club with the help of Larry Ezeh,” Ajunwa, who is the first Nigerian and first black African woman to win gold at the 1996 Olympic, told CAFOnline.com.
“I was the one who went into the villages to pick the players who played during my eight years with the club. Then, Rivers Angels have had the luck of having good, zealous, determined players. Against all odds, the players were playing with great passion and focus on winning which is why the team is a household name.
“Since the government took over the club, they have taken proper care of the team which is why they have continued to excel. I think various governments and firms should emulate Rivers state government to help the women’s game grow in leaps and bounds.”
Since 2010, Rivers Angels have won the Nigerian Women’s Premier League six times, Women’s Federation Cup record eight times and Women’s Super Cup once – all under the tutelage of Edwin Okon.
“It’s not an easy job handling a women’s team, let alone being champions of the Nigerian league several times and the Federation Cup,” the 51-year-old tactician told CAFOnline.com.
“So many big players have passage through this big club, if we have 60 players abroad, I think about 40 of them has passaged through the club. I’m also happy with the privilege to handle the club. It takes a lot of sacrifice and discipline to achieve this.”
With 15 domestic titles in Nigerian football, the winning mentality imbibed by the players is a major secret, according to Okon.
“When you get to Rivers Angels as a new player, the first thing we make you understand is that this is where we change your mentality from a girl to a woman,” he opened up.
“We believe that the orientation will make a girl child, who wants to make podium success can go all the way to achieve it. It is not an easy task but we make them understand that our philosophy is win and players develop the mindset of a champion.”
The Jewels of Rivers will slug it out with Vihiga Queens of Kenya, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, ASFAR of Morocco in Group B and the tactician is upbeat about conquering the continent again.
“I think the club is a very big team. Going to Egypt, it is a big championship and we look forward to bringing home the trophy,” the 2014 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winner with Nigeria continued.
“Our target is the title as we’ve prepared well for the tournament. My calculation and focus are on winning the trophy. I have made the players understand the burden of the challenge on us.
“The whole country and our sponsor (Rivers State government) are behind us. To whom much is given, much is expected, we are not just going there (Egypt) to make the number as participants. Our winning mentality is high and we won’t disappoint everyone.”
Rivers will open their campaign against Moroccan champions at the Al Salam Stadium on November 6, 2021 before a meeting with Sundowns three days later and final group showdown with Vihiga on November 12.
-cafonline
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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