Nigerian Football
Remo Stars emerge winner of MTN/NPFL/La Liga U-15 Tournament
Remo Stars of Ikenne is fast emerging as the model football club in Nigeria as the youth side of the outfit emerged the winners of the MTN/NPL/La Liga U-15 championship.
In what could be likened a ‘Star War’, Remo Stars cadet team beat their Sunshine Stars counterparts 2-0 to become Nigeria’s Number on youth side.
They are following the footsteps of the senior side which despite having a season in the Nigerian elite league after their last season’s promotion from the second-tier league, they are already one of the trio contesting for the Nigerian championship.
A worse case scenario may see the pet project of their silent proprietor going continental next season either in the CAF Champions League or the Confederation Cup.
Showing good structure and building an ideal football resort in the hitherto sleepy town of Ikenne, the U15 side is already pointing to the future of the club after brushing aside the other 14 teams to emerge winners of the fourth edition of the MTN-NPFL-La Liga powered championship.
In beating Sunshine Stars, Remo Stars took the lead in the 15th minute through Arierhi Kparobo who was in superlative form throughout the tournament .
The second half saw some breathtaking saves from both keepers as the shots kept increasing. Ultimately, Kparobo got his brace after a well struck shot inside the box leading his team to victory.
Speaking after the final, Senior Manager, Sponsorship and Promotion, MTN Nigeria Limited, Osaze Ebueku, praised the tournament for showcasing and advancing grassroots football.
“We saw the talents that came through, we saw how passionate the players were and this is the future of our football. Grassroots football is where we are looking forward to getting stars into the Super Eagles.
“I am highly impressed with what the players displayed since the commencement of the tournament and at the finals. The tournament has really improved and I am proud of the players that participated. What this means is that the future of our football is very bright and we are proud. He added
In the third-place match which took place earlier in the day, Katsina United edged out Kano Pillars 5-4 on penalties after the two sides played out a nail biting 2-2 draw.
Recall that in September last year, the Telco giant signed a partnership with the Nigerian Football Federation to become the Official Communications sponsor of the Super Eagles and other national teams.
This partnership sees MTN execute several exciting activities around Nigerian football, allowing football lovers to enjoy the sport uniquely.
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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