Nigerian Football
Alhassan’s Hat-trick Shoots Down Shooting Stars
BY MFON PATRICK.
A new hero may have emerged in the Nigerian league this season. Alhassan Ibrahim’s sensational hat-trick in a space of sixteen minutes inspired Akwa United to a 4-2 victory over Shooting Stars Sports Club on match day 17 fixtures at the Godswill Akpabio l Stadium in Uyo on Sunday.
Ubong Friday opened scoring in the 11th minute when he rose above 3SC’s defence to head home Amaechi Orji’s free kick. Thereafter, it was Akwa all the way.
The Promise Keepers doubled their lead in the 28th minute after Musa Newman forced Sodiq Surja and goalkeeper Adamu Abubakar into making a costly error which Alhassan capitalised to score his first goal of the match.
Eight minutes later, Alhassan picked up a loose ball in the visitor’s half and dribbled his way pass three 3SC defenders before slotting the ball beyond the goalkeeper for his second goal of the game to send the jubilant fans into cloud nine.
The midfielder completed his hat-trick in the 43th minute when he headed home Amaechi Orji’s excellent cross into the net for his first hat-trick for Akwa United and his ninth goal of the season.
Shooting Stars made two substitutions including goalkeeper Adamu Abubakar who appeared to have sustained injury but they were unable to reduce the deficit as Coach Maikaba’s team went into the break with a healthy 4-0 lead.
On resumption of second half, Akwa United continued where they left off and two quick attempts at goal were narrowly missed by Ubong Friday and Alhassan Ibrahim.
The visitors regained some confidence in the second half and a dangerous ball into the area was saved by Ishmaila Shagari, but the goalkeeper collided with his central defender Ariwachukewu Emmanuel in the process. Both players sustained injury and the goalkeeper was replaced by Emmanuel Iwu early in the second half.
Shooting Stars continued their search for a goal and in the 58th minute Moses James pulled a goal back from Sodiq Suraja’s long throw into the box.
Aremu Afeez, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi and Amaechi Orji were in their element detecting the pace of the game and creating chances but Alhassan, Newman and Friday failed to increase the tally.
Coach Maikaba made two tactical changes, introducing Michael Ibe and Chigozie Chilekwu to replace Aremu Afeez and Amaechi Orji towards the end of the match.
A late minute counter attack by 3SC was rewarded with a free kick outside the box and Shittu Taiwo stepped up and blasted a shot pass the wall to score for the visitors to narrow the score line. But it was too late for 3SC as Akwa United strolled to their sixth win of the season and moved up to ninth position on the NPFL table.
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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