Nigerian Football
PEOPLES’ ELEPHANT, ENYIMBA DROWNS IN RIVERS TO END 12-MATCH UNBEATEN RUN
BY SAMMY WEJINYA
Ossy Martins struck early as an impressive Rivers United side snapped ‘People’s Elephant’, Enyimba’s 12-match unbeaten run in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) on Wednesday with a richly deserved 1-0 victory.
United could have won more handsomely but for some impressive goalkeeping heroics by the Enyimba goalkeeper, Theophilus Afelokhai who produced a stunning double save late on to keep the score respectable.
The win at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt keeps United in the hunt for a playoff ticket as they now sit just two points behind the third placed MFM FC who have amassed 28 points from 18 matches.
Enyimba started Wednesday’s contest on the front football and should have opened the scoring in the second minute when an unmarked Chinedu Udechukwu rose highest to head Stanley Dimgba’s cross narrowly wide.
It was a premonition the hosts failed to heed as the irrepressible visitors, seemingly buoyed by their assured start to the contest, continued to step on the accelerator.
Former national U20 star, Simon Zenke was the next to ask an attacking question, from an Enyimba perspective as his fierce strike off a defence-splitting Chinedu Udeagha pass skimmed across the face of the United goal with goalkeeper, Abiodun Akande well-beaten.
The hosts then took over, creating the better chances for the rest of the half.
It was therefore no real surprise when they took the lead on 12 minutes through Ossy Martins’ simple tap in, following good work, off a thrilling team move, by Wasiu Jimoh and Malachi Ohawume.
Wasiu, Martins and Kehinde Adedipe all had gilt-edged opportunities to score before the game hit the may way stage as the ‘Pride off Rivers’ looked to rapidly put the game to bed.
United continued to boss proceedings and enjoyed two more excellent opportunities on the stroke of half time through Martins and Adedipe as they looked to put daylight between themselves and the visitors.
Enyimba improved after the break and enjoyed fleeting moments of joy.
Their best chances at restoring parity against a badly flagging United side arrived 14 minutes from time when Udechukwu produced two great efforts in about a minute – the first from a freekick and another with a great turn – but the United rear guard stood resolute.
Moments earlier, Akande saved Faourk Mohammed’s free kick brilliantly as the visitors desperately looked to preserve their unbeaten run which was, at that stage, hanging by a thread.
The introduction of pint-sized Esor Nelson, in the second half breathed new life into the United side that finished the game on the ascendancy.
Only an extraordinary double save by Afelokhai in the 85th minute prevented Nelson and Martins from adding to United’s advantage.
Afelokhai was again, in outstanding form to deny the nifty Nelson whose pinging effort from a tight angle, late on, seemed destined for the far corner.
It was a richly deserved win for the hosts who can now afford to dream of a place in the playoff places.
Head coach of Enyimba, Usman Abdalah was quick to offer words of praise to United as he saw his side’s long standing winning run come to a shuddering half.
“Rivers United gave a very good account of themselves and they deserved to win,” Abdallah said.
United’s technical manager, Stanley Eguma also voiced his sentiments as he spoke to the club’s official website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
“There is improvement in our team as we have been playing some great football recently. We played better than Enyimba today and we will continue working harder,” he said.
Rivers United now sit in fourth place on the NPFL standings with 26 points from 18 matches.
The Port Harcourt club will now embark on a length trip to Illorin where they will face Kwara United on Sunday.
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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