Nigerian Football
Video: Asiegbu, Newman, Odey Vie for Wonder Goal Six
Akwa United striker Musa Newman, Shedrack Asiegbu of Abia Warriors and the NPFL leading scorer and MFM FC striker Stephen Odey have emerged as the men in the running for the sixth VAT Wonder Goal. The three goals were among 18 scored on Match Day 25.
Newman’s goal was Akwa United’s second in a 2-0 win over Katsina United while Asiegbu’s strike was the first of his brace in a tight contest with league leaders Plateau United which his club Abia Warriors triumphed 2-1.
The goal scored by Odey for MFM against Kano Pillars temporarily put the game at 1-1 and later represented scant consolation as Pillars ran out 3-1 winners.
The build-up to Asiegbu’s goal began with a throw-in on the right channel of Abia Warriors’ attack. Yakub Hammed threw the ball to Sunday Adetunji who shielded it nicely at the edge of Plateau United’s box before cushioning it to Uche Ihuarulam whose intended cross took a deflection off the back of Plateau United’s Jimmy Ambrose.
The ball then fell kindly to Asiegbu who controlled with his chest towards his left foot and struck sweetly into the top corner beyond Plateau United goalkeeper Dele Ajiboye for the first of his two goals on the match day under review.
Katsina United’s sloppy defending was a reason that led to Newman’s goal for Akwa United who were at the time leading by a goal at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
Akwa United attacked from the left, Katsina United could not clear their lines and that allowed in a cross into the box which an unmarked Newman directed his headed attempt downward into the net past goalkeeper Okoli Okoli.
For the goal scored by Odey, it was a typical MFM style of playing from the back with short passes. Sikiru Olatunbosun and playmaker Chukwuka Onuwa were involved in a brilliant interchange of passes before the former slipped Odey through on goal. The NPFL leading scorer used his pace to good effect, leaving the Kano Pillars’ defence in his wake. He then calmly picked his spot to beat David Obiazo in goal.
Voting for the sixth VAT Wonder Goal commences on the NPFL website and Twitter account and will end at midnight of Thursday.
The VAT Wonder Goal Award attracts a cash prize of N150, 000 for the winner with half of the money donated to a Charity to be nominated by the player within the state where the club is located. It is supported by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) to promote club-community relationship and also create awareness for tax education.
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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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