Nigerian Football
NPL: Remo Stars record Match Day 3 sole away win
Only Remo Stars won their away match on Sunday as the Nigera Premier League enters the third week. Playing two away matches back to back, Remo Stars recovered from their 2-0 loss to Rivers United to post a win in Yenagoa as they beat their hosts, Bayelsa United 2-1.
They made hays early as Adams Olamilekan put Remo Stars ahead after just four minutes of the game. Serial scorer, Sikiru Alimi doubled the lead in the 78th minute before Okorie Ekeson reduced the tally two minutes to regulation time.
Abia Warriors beat visiting Kano Pillars 1-0 through a 31st minute goal by Sunday Megwo. In Port Harcourt, Rivers United were held to a goalless draw by Kwara United, the same result obtained in Lagos by Sporting Lagos in their home encounter with Doma United.
In Ibadan, Shooting Stars came from a goal down to beat visiting Gombe United 2-1. Aliko Bala shot the visitors ahead in the 10th minute before Malomo Taofeek Ayodeji’s brace in the 49th and 88th minute rescued the home side.
Enugu Rangers returned into reckoning with a 2-1 defeat of Niger Tornadoes in Enugu. Joel Odoh in the 17th minute and Godwin Obaje in the 45th minute put Rangers ahead. Ten minutes into the second half, Bashir Usman reduced the tally.
Enyimba were the winners in a five goal thriller in Aba. What initially looked to be a stroll in the park for Enyimba suddenly turned to a Greek puzzle.
Within a space of three minutes they were two goals up against Akwa United as Gabriel Innocent Okey scored in the 13th minute and Mbaoma Chiojeke doubled it two minutes later.
Then Akwa United started their comeback bid as Kufre Ebong cut the deficit in the third minute of the added time in the first half while David Philip scored the equaliser in the 67th minute.
Never say die, as Alalibo Somiari put in the winner for Enyimba, just two minutes after Akwa Ibom’s equaliser.
ALL SUNDAY’S RESULTS
- Bayelsa Unites 1-2 Remo Stars
- Abia Warious 1-0 Kano Pillars
- Rivers United 0-0 Kwara United
- Shooting Stars 2-1 Gombe United
- Enugu Rangers 2-1 Niger Tornadoes
- Sporting Lagos 0-0 Doma United
- Enyimba 3-2 Akwa United
- Sporting Lagos 0-0 Doma United
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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