Nigerian Football
Colombia 2024: Falconets target victory over Mexico to sustain winning mentality
Head Coach Christopher Musa Danjuma said on Sunday that Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets, will go all the way in search of triumph over their Mexican counterparts, when both sides clash in a friendly game on the turf of Club Banco de la República in Bogota on Monday evening.
“Our victory over Australia was such a sweet one, but I have told the ladies to drive it into the recesses of their minds and concentrate on Monday’s encounter. We need another victory to sustain our winning mentality. We won five of our six qualifying matches with healthy score lines and have now added victory over the Australians to boot.
“As I keep saying at every turn, the FIFA World Cup finals here will not be easy. The fact that we are up against Korea Republic and three-time winners Germany in our first two matches means we need to be at our best physically, mentally and psychologically. Physically and mentally, I believe we are in shape. Psychologically, we are good, and we will be great if we defeat the Mexicans to go into the competition unbeaten.”
In the African qualifying race, the Falconets routed their counterparts from Central African Republic 6-0 each in Douala and Abuja, sent packing Burkina Faso with a 1-1 draw in Bamako and 6-0 spanking in Abuja, and dismissed Liberia 4-1 in Monrovia and 2-0 in Abuja, in the process scoring 25 goals and conceding only two.
On Friday, the 2010 and 2014 silver medallists edged the Aussies 2-1 in regulation time, and then won a subsequent penalty shootout that happened at the instance of the Australian delegation.
The clash with the Mexicans, who are expected to provide much-stiffer opposition (having missed only one edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals since it started in 2002), will kickoff at 3.30pm Colombia time (9.30pm Nigeria time).
Danjuma’s squad from the qualifiers is now boosted by the presence of a number of players who have seen action with the Nigeria senior team, Super Falcons, including defenders Jumoke Alani, Rofiat Imuran, Comfort Folorunsho and forwards Opeyemi Ajakaye, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu and Flourish Sabastine. Folorunsho and Ajakaye were in the Nigeria U17 squad that finished in third place at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India two years ago. Other members of that squad also with the Falconets in Colombia are goalkeeper Faith Omilana and forward Aminat Omowunmi Bello.
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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