Nigerian Football
GTI thumbs up Rangers commercialization initiative
Strategic partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited has commended the management of Rangers International FC of Enugu for the commercialization initiative they embarked on prior to the commencement of the 2023/2024 NPFL season.
GTI/TNFF Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, told sports journalists in Lagos that the move is in line with GTI’s intention of seeing to the total privatization of all Nigerian elite clubs and the development of the beautiful game in the country.
“GTI was reliably informed that one of Nigeria’s foremost elite clubs, Rangers International of Enugu recently embarked on the process of commercialization of its activities in a bold bid to remain financially solvent and less dependent on the government for funds.
“The Coal City Flying Antelopes unveiled a massive fund-drive project tagged ‘One Million Ambassadors’ in which members are expected to pay an undisclosed token as a membership fee to be enrolled into the exalted ‘One Million Ambassadors Club’. This we gathered was aimed at raising funds for the team and pulling together a massive fanbase.
“This development is heart-warming and a commendable initiative which every club featuring in the current season should emulate,” Ekejiuba began.
“The initiative is also in adherent to the clarion call GTI made recently to individuals, philanthropists and Corporate Nigeria to take advantage of the ongoing revolution that club football is witnessing in the country and invest in these clubs.
“The coming of GTI into the country’s football ecosystem has woken the sleeping giants in these clubs and it is expected that all stakeholders of Nigerian football should embrace this new green oil that has the capacity to turn around the country’s GDP going forward.
“The investment window is wide open for individuals, philanthropists and Corporate Nigeria to key into until the last club is taken away from government because the management of elite football is purely a business venture.”
It could be recalled that the Administrative Secretary of Rangers, Barrister Ferdinand Ugwuarua, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at a crowded press conference held at the club’s corporate office located at 23 Lugard Avenue, Abakaliki Road, Enugu gave an elaborate explanation of the club’s commercialization project that will be ‘media driven’ and tailored towards the new government of Enugu State’s mantra in managing government business.
With this development, GTI is of the opinion that Rangers has set the pace and machinery in motion to drive for a million registered members of the club whose tokens will go a long way in ensuring the attainment of a strong financial structure for the club. Ekejiuba hinted that GTI is optimistic that gradually the Nigerian elite league will get back to the era of Abiola Babes, Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Stationary Stores, Asabatex and Flash Flamingoes when they held sway and affirmed that the qualification of Sporting Lagos for the upcoming season is a sign of greater things in the offing.
Ekejiuba added that the August 26 kickoff date as revealed by NPL boss, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye for the new season is tenable and expressed delight that the 2023/2024 NPFL will be a glorious season to remember by stakeholders of Nigeria football following the massive preparations going on quietly at the background by GTI.
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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