Nigerian Football
Remo Stars Survive Warriors’ Encounter
BY OLADIMEJI OSHODE
A wonderful display from Remo Stars Football Club saw the visitors salvaging a point at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
The Sky Blue Stars fashioned out a goalless draw against the ‘Ochendo Warriors’ in the last game of Match Day 23 in the Nigeria Professional Football League.
Technical Adviser, Fatai Osho made four changes to the starting line-up that defeated Gombe United in Match Day 22 of the League at the Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu.
Abia Warriors and Remo Stars approached the game with all seriousness as it took both sides five minutes to settle brilliantly into the game.
The home side had the first attempt but Oknuoghae Osas brilliantly stopped Sunday Adetunji’s chance that could have given the Ochendo Warriors the lead.
Dufegha Eric made a run for the Sky Blue Stars to locate Ochowechi Salefu but his attempt went over the bar and Ekene Awazie grabbed a pass but Agbor Ekoi saved for the home side.
The Sky Blue Stars had the larger percent of play with Ochowechi Salefu, Benjamin Felix and Awazie Ekene wonderful display that could have gone the visitors’ way.
Before the half the break, the home side had a chance through Anthony Okemmiri to locate Uche Inuarulam but he anxiously played it wide.
The second half started with Dufegha Eric having a brilliant attempt after getting pass Ogbonnaya Okemmiri but Agbor Ekoi saves before Ochowechi Salefu got close for a rebound.
Chidume Victor was also spectacular for the Sky Blue Stars with wonderful passes to locate Ochowechi Salefu and Ekene Awazie but Ozor Chinedu defended swiftly to deny the visitors.
Much pressure came in for the Sky Blue Stars in the closing minutes of the game where Ndukwe Chizoba was forced to make numerous saves from Sunday Adetunji, Obi Samson, Uche Ihuarulam and Yakub Muhammed.
Both teams tried their best possible to get at least a goal in the closing minutes of the game but the defenders reacted brilliantly to different attempts and the Sky Blue Stars forced the game to a goalless draw.
An elated Technical Adviser of Remo Stars, Fatai Osho said that the draw against Abia Warriors in Umuahia would propel the team to continue to work harder.
“It’s excellent for his team to get a point in Umuahia and it will also propel the team to continue to work harder.”
“We lost couple of away games because the results didn’t come our way but today we have got something reasonable to motivate us better.”
“We have to give it to the referees too because the officiating was fair, if we can continue to have this type of officiating then we won’t be talking of losing four subsequent away matches.”
“As regards the players, we don’t want to isolate an individual but we have to give it to the players because they worked collectively to get the draw.” Osho opined.
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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