Nigerian Football
SUNSHINE STARS HANG ON TO SECURE HOME WIN OVER PLATEAU UNITED
BY CHRIS OKUNNUWA
Timileyin ‘Omo Jesu’ Ogunniyi and Fuad Ekelojuoti scored the goals as Sunshine Stars hanged on to secure a 2-1 win over Plateau United in Wednesday’s exhilarating match at the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure.
The victory moved the Kabiru Dogo tinkered side to joint third on the Nigeria Professional Football League table with 25 points from 15 matches.
Seconds into the game, Sunshine Stars’ Sulieman Mohammed broke through into the visitors area from a quick team play, however the bulish striker’s effort was easily collected by United’s goalkeeper, Chinedu Anozie.
And four minutes in, Anthony Omaka fired just wide fiercely from the edge as Sunshine Stars continue to lay early siege to the former champions’ area.
The Akure landlords should have taken the lead from a big chance in the fifth minute, but Chinedu made himself too big for Omaka to slot past from six yards out following a defence-splitting move.
The opening goal was in the offing though, and it arrived in the 11′ through dazzling midfielder, Omo Jesu who showed great skill and calmness to chip past Chinedu astonishingly from goal mouth.
Stand-in captain, Seun Olulayo provided decisive cover for goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo and helped stopped a goal-bound United’s lob in the 21′.
Then Ekelojuoti doubled the lead for Sunshine Stars by bundling home from the rebound of Jide Fatokun’s low drive in the 33′.
The hosts had the chance to go 3-0 up just before the end of the first half, but Mohammed could not keep his volley down after connecting a teasing Omaka’s header inside the area.
Dogo’s boys picked it up from where they left it before the break and could have pulled away further five minutes after the restart, however Omaka had another effort clattered off Chinedu in one-on-one face off with the goalkeeper.
In the 52′ Omo Jesu raced in barely early enough and get to the end of Mohammed’s square ball, but his efforts from an acute angle is kept out by Anozie, before Wasiu Jimoh pulled yet another save from the goalkeeper with a trademark drive a minute later.
Despite Sunshine Stars dominance in the opening minutes of the second period, it was Plateau United who profited from a sloppy defending and lapse in concentration to pulled one back through Uche Onoasonya in the 57′.
The goal brought the Tin city outfit back into the game and it took a brave goalkeeping act from Ojo to thwart the coach Abdul Maikaba’s side chance at an equaliser in the 70′. The goalkeeper was right on call again to deny United in a similar fashion 12 minutes from time.
The pressure was relentless in the closing stages but the Akure landlords held on to pick up another huge three points, ahead of Sunday’s match day 15 date with Kwara United in Ilorin.
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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