Nigerian Football
2019 AITEO CUP QUARTER FINAL A CLASH OF TOP SEEDS AS LOBI STARS FACE RIVERS UNITED
BY SAMMY WEJINYA.
The stand out fixture of the 2019 AITEO Cup quarter finals will be played on Friday at the Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.
Eight sides, Kano Pillars, Rivers United, Aklosendi, Lobi Stars, Niger Tornadoes, Smart City, Bendel Insurance and Calabar Rovers are still in the running to claim the prestigious diadem but only one will be left standing in the end.
The AITEO Cup has been severally described as the scourge of the giants and the delight of the minnows but one of the last eight fixtures seems too close to call.
Lobi Stars and their war cry
Lobi Stars and Rivers United will go toe to toe in a high profile clash for a right to reach the semifinals of Nigeria’s oldest football competition on Friday.
The Makurdi club have been slowly but steadily going about their business in the competition.
They beat Kebbi United 1-0 in the round of 64 before following it up with a 2-0 win over Enugu Rangers in a feisty round of 32 contest at the Bako Kontagora Stadium, Minna.
In the round of 16, the Makurdi club came from a goal down to overpower Abia Warriors 3-1 at the Akure Township
Lobi will however come up against their sternest test yet when they meet an in-form Rivers United side that have scored the most goals (of all the eight sides still left in the competition).
United have also yet to concede in the competition but spokesman of the Lobi club, Agbo Igoche believes the Makurdi outfit will be successful on Friday.
“The objective for Lobi Stars now is to win the AITEO Cup since we failed in winning the league title,” he told the official Rivers United website, www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
“The two sides know themselves so well so it’s going to be a very good game of football, quite explosive.
“These are two very good sides but I think Lobi Stars will win 2-0,” he predicted.
Rivers United; a force of nature
Rivers United is the most in-form team still left in the 2019 AITEO Cup.
The ‘Pride of Rivers’ have been irresistible and steamrolled their way into the quarter finals of the competition playing some wonderfully open, aesthetic and effective football.
A 4-0 win in the round of 64 over FC Timberloader in Lafia was followed up with a classy 3-0 dismantling of pre-tournament favourites, Akwa United in Enugu in the round of 32.
In the round of 16, United tamed Warri Wolves 2-0 and have now scored nine goals while conceding none in their previous three matches.
Technical manager of United, Stanley Eguma is understandably in bullish form ahead of Friday’s contest.
“We are ready for any team that comes our way. We know Lobi is a big club and we have respect for them.
“However, as it stands now, we are determined to crush any team that comes our way.
“The players are in high spirits and we are ready to forge ahead and move into the next stage of the competition,” he said.
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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