Nigerian Football
Let the Nigeria Premier League start on time, NFF boss tell club owners
“Gentlemen I am delighted to know that you conducted your elections peacefully and in a very matured manner today, this gives me hope that you’re ready for the assignment at hand”.
Those were the words from Ibrahim Musa Gusau President Nigeria Football Federation when he received members of the 20 Nigeria Premier League Club Owners Association in his office in Abuja on Monday.
Led by their new chairman Okey Kpalukwu, Gusau charged them to stay focused and not give room for external forces to infiltrate their ranks which will distract from running their clubs effectively and professionally.
“Please I will be following your activities as Club Owners with keen interest because the strength of any football playing nation is the domestic league.
“You’ve started very well and I urge you to continue this way. Please don’t give room for distractions and you must stay united. Whenever I have cause to meet with you, let it be just 20 of you”, admonished the NFF President.
The former Zamfara FA chairman also harped on the need to ensure that the 2023/24 NPL season starts on schedule to consolidate on gains from sacrifices made last season by the clubs that has led to a unified football calendar in the leagues.
He added that the incoming NPL board will liaise with the office of the NFF General Secretary to agree on dates that will align with the leagues so that there won’t be clashes when the Federation Cup begins. This he said was to ensure that Nigeria as a football playing nation will henceforth observe FIFA free windows.
In his remarks, Chief Kpalukwu thanked Gusau for his kind words while promising the corporation of the NPL Club Owners Association to the football governing body in Nigeria.
Meanwhile a list of three members, Kpalukwu, Alhaji Suleiman Umar and Dominic Iorfa who are chairmen of Rivers United of Port Harcourt, Doma United of Gombe and Lobi Stars of Makurdi were submitted to the NFF for consideration in the incoming NPL board on the request of the football house.
Earlier on Monday, the NPL Club Owners Association had introduced to Gusau its new elected executive led by Kpalukwu as Chairman, Alhaji Umar and Kunle Soname as Vice chairmen north and south. Godwin Enakhena is the body’s new General Secretary while Ferdinand Emeka Ugwuarua is Coordinator.
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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