Nigerian Football
Chukwu, Akinsola Commiserate with Ilodigwe’s Family
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Christian Chukwu, General Manager of Rangers International has expressed grief at the loss of Kenneth Ilodigwe, a former team mate of his in the glorious days of the once glamorous African side in the 1970s.
Speaking with www.sportsvillagesquare.com, Chukwu described the loss of Ilodigwe as shocking.
Ilodigwe, one of the founding members of Enugu Rangers in May 1970, died at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital last Thursday, the same day another Nigerian football personality, Paul Hamilton passed on at Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
Chukwu, who said he was speaking on behalf of both the former Enugu Rangers players and the current composition, described Ilodigwe as a wonderful midfielder before the late footballer went to Clemson University in US for further studies in 1974.
With former captain, Dominic Ezeani, Ilodigwe was often invited to fly down to Nigeria to fortify Rangers team in critical matches of the 1975 African Cup of Champions Clubs.
He had aided Rangers emergence as league champions in 1974 and scored the goal that launched the club into victory path in the Challenge Cup. Enugu Rangers emerged double champions.
The first time he was recalled to assist Rangers was in the second round match of the 1974 African Cup of Champions Clubs in the return leg match with Young Africans of Tanzania.
The first leg in Lagos ended goalless necessitating the ‘importation’ of Ilodigwe from the US for the return leg in Dar es Salam. The match ended 1-1 and Rangers advanced on away goal rule.
He was recalled again for the return leg of the semi final match against El Mehalla of Egypt after Rangers slumped 1-3 in the first leg. He aided Rangers’ 3-0 routing of Mehalla in the return leg in Enugu, even though he got red-carded just before half time.
Former FIFA/NFF security officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gideon Akinsola, has joined in commiserating with the families of late Paul Hamilton and Kenneth Ilodigwe as well as his former club, Enugu Rangers and the NFF.
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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