Nigerian Football
Ministry’s Perm Sec hails NFF on World Cup Plans
The organisers of the March 23 friendly match between Poland and Nigeria have changed the match venue from the capital city of Warsaw to Wroclaw, thenff.com has informed.
This is coming as the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Olusade Adesola has poured encomiums on the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation for its well –tailored, comprehensive and articulate 2018 FIFA World Cup plan for the Super Eagles.
Adesola, who represented the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, at the unveiling of the plan at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, noted: “The present administration preaches transparency, and this is exactly what the NFF has done here. They have brought everyone on board and laid out their plan in good time, even asking people to contribute.
“This is commendable. I see a lot of excitement among the leaders of the football community here and I am equally enamoured by the clear –cut nature of the World Cup plan,” he said while also assuring that the Federal Government is working to ensure that the pitch of National Stadium, Abuja is revamped in good time for the Eagles’ pre-World Cup friendly against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, 28th May.
Leading members of the Nigerian Football family as well as stakeholders also hailed the NFF’s well –articulated World Cup program, which included venues and dates for six pre-World Cup friendly matches, kit launch, camping programmes and venues, the team base camp, sponsors’ event and how the team will travel during the World Cup finals proper.
On the five –year partnership agreement between the NFF and Coca-Cola, which conferred on the beverage giant the title of ‘Official Soft Drink and Co-Sponsor of the Nigeria National Teams,’ Adesola said the Federal Government’s unwavering support and the NFF’s diligence, which ensured 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, has enabled the environment for corporate organizations to journey back to sports sponsorship in droves.
“Indeed, the journey to this epoch making event was made possible by the qualification of the Nigeria Super Eagles for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals holding in Russia.
“The event of today would not have been possible but for the dogged support and commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari, to the success of the Super Eagles.
“Like no other times, the NFF prosecuted the qualifying matches without having to go with cap in hand. The entire sports community express sincere gratitude for the support by the Federal Government.
“In spite of government’s commitment to the development of sports and its sponsorship, the scarcity of resources as well as competing demands by other sectors such as education, health, internal and external security, agriculture, road infrastructure, energy and the like have greatly constrained Government’s desire to adequately finance sports.
“As a result, and in tandem with global best practices, this administration is championing greater private sector participation in all sectors of the economy including sports.”
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
NFF Communication director unfolds 20 Points of a 20-hour ordeal on Libyan soil
African football legends, Adebayor and Aubameyang condemn Libya’s treatment of Super Eagles
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Players boycott Libyan national team
-
AFCON5 days ago
Billiat’s penalty seals Zimbabwe’s 1-0 win over Namibia
-
AFCON1 week ago
Facts & Figures as AFCON 2025 qualifiers enter Matchday 3
-
AFCON6 days ago
AFCON 2025 in Morocco: Everything you need to know
-
AFCON5 days ago
Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri alleges poor treatment in Nigeria
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
CAF compels Kwasi Appiah to step down from Ghana FA
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Fastest World Cup final scorer is dead!
-
AFCON1 day ago
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode