Nigerian Football
GTI disburses winnings to Enugu Rangers and El Kanemi as League and cup winners
Strategic partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the President Federation Cup (PFC), GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited has confirmed that Rangers International FC of Enugu has received their prize money of N150million for emerging champions of the 2023/2024 NPFL season.
GTI Head of Media Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba who broke the news in Lagos revealed that winners of the 2024 President Federation Cup (PFC) for men, El-Kanemi Warriors FC also received their prize money of N50million, while the the runners up, Abia Warriors FC got N20million.
He further stated that in the women’s category of PFC, winners, Rivers Angels FC received N25million while runners up, Naija Ratels FC of Abuja got the sum of N10million.
Prize money of N1million was given to each of the awardees in the men and women’s PFC categories which includes Highest Goal Scorer, Most Valuable Player and Best Goalkeeper respectively.
Reacting to the prompt receipt of their prize monies, some Chairmen/CEO’s of the aforementioned award-winning clubs and individuals commended GTI, NPFL and NFF for the timely payment of the prize monies in the outgone season.
In his submission, Enugu Rangers GM/CEO, Amobi Ezeaku expressed delight after receiving their club’s prize money which according to him will assist the team prepare adequately for their continental engagement next season.
“On behalf of the management and players of Enugu Rangers Football Club, we want to express our appreciation to the NFF, NPFL and their strategic partners GTI Group for upholding the integrity of financial commitment to the Champion of the league. We are glad we got our prize money at a record time to enable us to plan for next season. Frankly, it shows that we are truly in a new dawn in our elite league following the successful completion of the 2023/2024 season,” he said.
Earlier in the week, Enugu Rangers gaffer, Fidelis Ilechukwu thumbed up the strategic impact of GTI Group’s initiative towards the restructuring of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and assured that his team are busy in the transfer market in a bid to acquire fresh legs to fortify the squad ahead of their continental engagement next season.
Meanwhile, in a separate interview with GTI, the Chairman of Naija Ratels FC, runners up in the PFC Women’s category, Allison Ene James commended the NFF for staging a hitch-free competition and praised their strategic partners GTI on their commitment in repositioning Nigeria football ecosystem.
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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