Nigerian Football
Be Diligent, Aspire To Greater Heights – Gusau Charges Grassroots Coaches –
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau has called on aspiring coaches across the Federation to elect diligence and ambition as their watchwords, as the NFF is ready to select the very best among them to discover and nurture talents for the U15 and U16 National Teams.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the opening ceremony of the first-ever NFF D-License Coaching Course, Gusau reiterated the vision of the present NFF administration to power the development, sustenance and growth of Nigeria Football from the grassroots.
“After this coaching course, we are going to start our U15 and U16 programs. This program will commence from the State level, move through the zonal level and then peak at the National level. Through this program, talents are going to be identified for nurturing. It is people who excel from this course that we are going to use at the State level. We cannot bring you here to train you and then abandon you to go and pick some other persons to work with us.
“However, we must see that seriousness, diligence and passion in you to be ready to work with you. I will speak with your instructors to get me the list of those who distinguish themselves here and whom they can trust to deliver.”
The seven-day course, which will feature 40 participants, kicked off immediately it was declared open by Gusau, and about a dozen resource persons including NFF Technical Director and former Super Eagles’ captain and coach, Augustine Eguavoen, Coach Henry Abiodun, Dr. Paul Onyeudo; former Super Eagles’ star Edema Fuludu, former FIFA referee and special assistant to the NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Adebayo Ameenu and a retired director in the NFF Technical Department, Dr. Robinson Okosun will take the participants on different courses over the seven days.
Also present at the opening ceremony were Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Sharif Rabiu Inuwa; NFF Executive Member and FIFA Match Commissioner Babagana Kalli; NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi; Coach Eguavoen; NFF Director of Legal Services, Okey Obi; NFF Deputy Director (Technical), Mrs Faith Ben-Anuge; Assistant Director (Technical), Coach Abdulrafiu Yusuf and; Chief Technical Officer, Garba Lawal.
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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