Nigerian Football
Nigerian league pace-setter, Remo Stars set to consolidate at Nnewi
Nigeria Professional Fotball League leaders, Remo Stars will square off against Rangers International on Wednesday afternoon looking for the victory required to maintain their top spot.
The Sky Blue Stars make a trip to the Ifeanyi Ubah Stadium in Nnewi to take on the flying antelopes in Matchday Eight.
While the Remo Stars head into the contest on top of the league table, Rangers International are third on the log with three points behind league leaders, Remo Stars.
Dayo Ojo helped Remo Stars pick the maximum points against Abia Warriors in the 62nd minute after his strike crept into the back of the net of the opponents.
Meanwhile, Rangers are still basking the euphoria of their last game which they emphatically defeated Heartland by 3-0.
Julius Ikechukwu put the Antelopes in front of the 26th minute, Christian Nnaji doubled the lead in the 55th minute before Shedrack Asiegbu sealed the victory for them.
The Wednesday encounter will be the fifth meeting between both sides, with the Rangers having edged out the Sky Blue Stars twice out of four meetings.
In 2017, Remo Stars held Rangers International to a 1-1 draw at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium after Ekene Awazie cancelled out Daniel Etor lead in the 51st minute.
The Sky Blue Stars were defeated 2-1 at the Gateway International Stadium in Sagamu after Bobby Clement scored a brace in the twentieth and 53rd minutes before Akeem Taiwo reduced the deficit five minutes later.
When Remo Stars returned to the NPFL in 2019, they played out a 0-0 draw against Rangers International at the Gateway International Stadium.
The reverse fixture saw the Sky Blue Stars taste one of the highest defeat in the club’s history after the Flying Antelopes beat Remo Stars 5-2 at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium in Enugu.
Late Ifeanyi George scored a brace in that encounter with other goals from Godwin Aguda, Ibrahim Ajani and Michael Uchebo.
Bright Akpojuwowo and an own goal from Ezeh Chidera reduced the deficit for the Sky Blue Stars.
The Sky Blue Stars will be looking to continue their unbeaten run with Dayo Ojo, Junior Nduka, Andy Okpe, Samuel Anakwe, Sunday Williams, Ifegwu Ojukwu and Kayode Bankole all available for this match.
The visitors will have to be wary of former Rivers United forward, Martin Ossy who currently have 4 goals to his name, Augustine Agu Kenechukwu, Shedrack Aseigbu, Tope Olusesi, John Ikechukwu and former Remo Stars player, Eso Archibong.
A win for the visitors will make it the third away win for them with victories against MFM and Wikki Tourists, a draw for the visitors is also welcomed but a defeat definitely put a stop to their unbeaten record in the ongoing NPFL.
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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