Nigerian Football
Twinkling, shinning Remo Stars continue impressive run
Returnee to the Nigerian elite league division, Remo Stars continued their dream run as they overran Heartland of Owerri in their matchday 2 encounter at their lush green arena in Ikenne on Sunday.
They beat one of the powerhouses of Nigerian club football, 3-0 in a match the visitors were already two goals down within the opening five minutes.
Great thanks to the precision moves of lanky Andy Okpei who was a turn in the flesh of Heartland. He scored just under four minutes of the match.
The ovation that greeted the goal had hardly died when under a minute he had found the net again. By the 10th minute, he could have had a hat-trick but his flip narrowly missed.
As the match was getting to the closing minutes, Samuel Anakwe scored the third goal that now see the Remo Stars having six points, five goals and not conceding any.
Elsewhere in Ibadan, the Shooting Stars did not shine bright enough as they had to rally from a goal down to hold Akwa United 1-1.
Akwa United shot into the lead in the 29th minute through Utibe Achibong and the Uyo boys held on tenaciously to the lead until Ayo Adejubu leveled up to salvage a point for the ‘Oluyole Warriors’ who appear to be draw specialists this season.
They drew their opening match last weekend with Gombe United who also drew their match day 2 match, 1-1 away to Nasarawa United.
In Port Harcourt, the ‘Pride of Rivers’, Rivers United were truly at home as they overflow Katsina United 3-0.
In an Oriental clash, Enyimba scored a memorable win to give Finidi George, their coach an impressive run so far. The lone goal of the match was scored by Victor Mbaoma in the 88th minute of the match.
Abdullateef Abiola’s goal settled the scores as Wikki Tourists beat visiting Niger Tornadoes 1-0. After losing to Enyimba on matchday one, Abia Warriors redeemed themselves with a 1-0 victory over Sunshine Stars.
For MFM who lost at home 2-0 to Remo Stars on matchday 1, they recorded another 2-0 loss this Sunday at Dakkada following goals from Aniekan Ekpe Okon and Musa Bashiru.
Plateau United had a fifth minute goal by Muhammad Zulkiilu to beat Kwara United 1-0. Kano Pillars were forced to a goalless draw in their home match with Lobi Stars
All the results
- Rivers United 3-0 Katsina
- Nasarawa 1-1 Gombe
- Remo Stars 3-0 Heartland
- Rangers 0-1 Enyimba
- Wikki Tourists 1-0 Niger Tornadoes
- Abia Warriors 1-0 Sunshine Stars
- Shooting Stars 1-1 Akwa United
- Dakkada 2-0 MFM
- Plateau United 1-0 KwaraKano Pillars 0-0 Lobi Stars
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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