Nigerian Football
Chaff expected to separate from wheat as Championship play-off enters home stretch
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Even if the spate of draws persists, the possible final shape of the NPFL Championship log will become very apparent this Friday.
It is the penultimate match day. Front runners will attempt to consolidate while the trailers will be aiming to step up as the Nigeria Premier League looks heading for a photo-finish.
Second on the log and defending champions, Rivers United will be hoping to fence off desperate pre-championship favourites, Bendel Insurance who are fourth on the table and aiming to inch their ways into possible continental ticket winners’ position.
That is how the MatchDay 4 will kick-off this afternoon at the water-front Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos. While a draw can see Rivers United clinching a good position, Bendel Insurance, the draw specialists, will need an outright win to have a realistic chance of going continental.
It has been decades since they flew the Nigerian flag. Their current rejuvenation initially indicated the possibility of grabbing one of the three possible tickets obtainable from the championship, but if they fail, they have another slot obtainable from the Federation Cup when they will face Enugu Rangers.
The second match of this Friday is another ‘Star War’ that evokes ‘thunder and blood’.
Lobi Stars at the bottom position will attempt an upstage Remo Stars from their slippery third position. Only a win can realistically cement Remo Stars in the top three bracket.
Remo Stars, easily the most shinning in terms of entertaining football have had elements of ill-luck trailing them.
Despite a controversial penalty kick decision that say them trailing at 2-1, they battled to a 2-2 draw in their opening duel with current table toppers, Enyimba.
They were seconds away from a possible victory against the second placed Rivers United, perhaps inexperience made them to lower guards and conceded an equaliser that got their encounter again stalemated at 2-2.
On Wednesday, they looked the more likely team to win in their encounter with Sunshine Stars.
After shining brightly in the first half and having a goal and missed chances to show for their performance, they slept off as the second half began and within the opening minutes, they had again dropped two points as they did in their earlier two matches.
A win against Lobi Stars can be a breather for them. Enyimba have everything to play for as they engaged Sunshine Stars in a dicey encounter.
A win, or at worst, a draw will certainly secure a visa for Enyimba to go continental again next month.
Teams P W D L F A GD Pts
Enyimba 3 1 2 0 4 3 1 5
Rivers 3 1 2 0 3 2 1 5
Remo 3 0 3 0 5 5 0 3
Bendel 3 0 3 0 2 2 0 3
Sunshine 3 0 2 1 2 3 -1 2
Lobi 3 0 2 1 0 1 -1 2
Day 4: June 9th
- Rivers United Vs Bendel Insurance – 2pm
- Lobi Stars Vs Remo Stars – 4pm
- Sunshine Stars Vs Enyimba FC – 6pm
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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