Nigerian Football
Sportainment galore at NPFL thrills GTI, oxygen provider to the league
Investment Banking firm, GTI Group has expressed delight with Nigeria’s music icons Flavour, Saheed Osupa, DJ Big N, MC Bash and CDQ for identifying with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
According to the Media Officer of Rangers International of Enugu, Norbert Okolie, he revealed that the presence of Flavour at Match Day 33 to cheer the team served as a morale booster which saw fans of the club thronging to Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium as Rangers trounced Bayelsa United 3-0 to maintain their grip on the summit of the NPFL table.
On another separate occasion, and during Match Day 34, Saheed Osupa, DJ Big N, MC Bash and CDQ took fans to ‘Cloud 9’ as they lavishly entertained them shortly after the game between 3SC of Ibadan and visiting Abia Warriors.
In that encounter, 3SC triumphed 4-0 over Abia Warriors and the Media Officer of 3SC, Tosin Omojola confirmed that the presence of the four artists helped attract a massive crowd of supporters to the match venue.
Reacting to this positive development, GTI’s Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, commended the music icons for joining other stakeholders in complimenting the efforts of Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye-led Nigeria Premier Football League board in promoting the beautiful game in the country.
He added that the blend of football and live music performance has the magical wand of returning the crowd to our various elite league venues. He then called on other notable musicians to emulate this new trend and partner with our elite clubs to facilitate the development of the sports ecosystem for mutual benefits.
“As strategic partners to the NFF on the President Federation Cup and the Nigeria Premier Football League respectively, GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited are delighted with this positive development whereby our music superstars are identifying with the elite league and contributing to the upliftment of Nigerian football using their God-given talent.
They thrilled soccer fans in Ibadan on Match Day 34 and we discovered that their presence motivated fans to throng the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan to watch the epic encounter. We hope this trend continues because this strategy has the tendency of endearing soccer fans to their various clubs which is what GTI and NPFL are currently craving for.
“We appreciate these musicians and other institutions that have partnered with the respective NPFL Clubs and the League body. Therefore, we look forward to similar partnership with more musicians and institutions in future,” he stated.
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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