Nigerian Football
Is Coast Clear for Ejide’s Super Eagles’ Return?
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.
With Super Eagles still having goalkeeping problems barely six weeks to the destiny-shaping back-to-back clashes with Cameroon in the race to World Cup 2018, sidelined national team goalkeeper, Austin Ejide may just be an option.
Ejide who last featured for the Super Eagles in a surprised 2-3 home loss to Congo in Calabar on September 6, 2014 only recently returned to action after signing a contract with Israeli club, Hapoel Hadera.
Last January, while featuring in a Joseph Dosu organized novelty match at the Julius Berger ground in Lagos, he told Sports Village Square that his not getting a national call-up was due to his not featuring for any club side since he left Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel in 2015.
As at January, he still nursed a possible return to the Super Eagles’ fold if he was able to secure a contract with a club.
His contract for the Israeli club is for three years. Before, Vincent Enyeama, Ejide was the first choice goalkeeper when the 2002 squad was disbanded after the turmoil that afflicted the Super Eagles at the Mali 2002 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ejide had debuted for the Super Eagles on June 16, 2001 when he came off the bench as a substitute for Sunday Rotimi in an away 0-2 win for Nigeria against Namibia in an Africa Cup of Nations Cup qualifier.
He was looking like a possible permanent holder of the number one shirt having featured in the pre World Cup friendly matches under Coach Adegboye Onigbinde. But Vincent Enyeama stamped his authority as a goalkeeper the moment he debuted on May 4, 2002 in a 3-0 defeat of Kenya in a friendly match in Lagos.
But in 2008, Ejide was preferred by Coach Berti Vogts ahead of Vincent Enyeama at the Africa Cup of Nations.
But is he ready to bounce back again? In the encounter with him months ago, he told Sports Village Square: “I still wish to keep for the Super Eagles. All goalkeepers must be in top form before getting a national team call up. I am not under a contract with any club for now.
“No one knows what tomorrow or the nearest future will be. As soon as a get signed with any club then I will certainly be battle ready for the Super Eagles gloves. Nigeria is my country and I derive pleasure in staying between the sticks whenever I am called upon.”
Will get a call up again? Only the team handlers can decide.
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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