Nigerian Football
Ogbugh Stars As Rivers United Win Again
BY SAMMY WEJINYA.
Emeka Ogbugh’s expertly-converted penalty proved decisive as Rivers United overcame a battling Abia Warriors side 1-0 in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) on Sunday.
Abia Warriors came into the match day 18 game in great form having lost just once in their previous seven NPFL games and sitting in fifth place on the log.
They proved their lofty position on the log was no fluke with a solid start to the game characterized by crisp passing and purposeful attacking play.
It almost led to a spectacular goal in the seventh minute when the lively Sunday Adetunji got on the end of a devastating counter attacking move.
The attacker squared for the unmarked Nweke Kalu who somehow managed to strike his effort against the frame of Sunday Rotimi’s left hand post with the Rivers United goalkeeper left with no chance.
United set the tempo for the rip-roaring start to the contest with Ogbugh embarking on a mazy run from the left in the fifth minute before cutting back with menace for the onrushing Bolaji Sakin who saw his goal bound strike beaten out for a corner by the Abia Warriors goalkeeper, Agbor Ekoi.
United then had a golden opportunity to take the lead just after the half hour when Bolaji Sakin was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area.
It was the first penalty awarded to Rivers United this season and with Bernard Ovoke missing from the match day squad, the responsibility from 11 metres fell to Ogbugh.
The former Heartland FC attacker is a pure artist from such situations and on this occasion, he opted for power rather than guile or placement.
His fiercely-hit effort flew like a missile, into the top corner and with Ekoi heroically trying to keep out the effort, he did not stay around for much longer to tell the story.
The Abia Warriors goalkeeper got injured in the process of unsuccessfully trying to keep out Ogbugh’s perfect penalty and was promptly replaced by Chinedu Anozie.
Chances were few and far between in the second half which was never going to match the first stanza in terms of drama and entertainment value.
Both sides did trade chances though but United did enough to close out the win which saw them leave the relegation zone for the first time in weeks.
“I am happy with the result and hopefully we can build on this and continue to improve on our position on the log,” technical manager of Rivers United, Stanley Eguma exclusively told the club’s official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
Rivers United moved up one place on the log following the win on Sunday and now occupy 16th place on the log with 21 points from 16 matches.
The Warriors dropped one place on the log and now sit in sixth place on the NPFL table having amassed 25 points from 18 matches.
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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