Nigerian Football
NPFL: LOBI, PLATEAU, RIVERS CHASE TITLE AS SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON KICKS OFF
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE.
The business end of the season starts across the country this Sunday with Lobi Stars standing on top of the log. Plateau United, Rivers United as well as Sunshine Stars and Dakkada FC are immediately challenging them.
This weekend’s fixtures are a reverse of the last Matchday games when the season reached the halfway point. In effect, teams who got on the wrong end of the result have the chance to have their own revenge.
Lobi Stars are in Bauchi to face Wikki Tourists who were unlucky to lose 1-2 from a winning position in Makurdi a week ago. Wikki arrive the Benue State capital from Aba where they had clashed with Enyimba in a rescheduled fixture midweek and lost 0-3. Not having fresh legs may count so much against the Giant Elephant, who are only two steps and two points above the bottom four.
In their last five matches, Lobi have won two, drawn two but lost to Jigawa Golden Stars by a lone goal in Kano; while Wikki have only won one (2-1 versus MFM in Bauchi), lost two on the road and drawn the remaining. Last season in Bauchi, this fixture ended 1-1.
Second placed Plateau United will sneak back to the head of the table if Lobi fail to make it in Bauchi and they, in turn, beat Dakkada in Jos. New on the blocks, the Akwa State side have punched above their weight and are rubbing shoulders with the heavyweights in the elite league.
In their first ever head-to-head clash, Plateau United got a point in their trip to Uyo against Dakkada last Sunday.
The former Akwa Starlets will be all out to emulate their “big brothers” Akwa United, who played goalless at the New Jos Stadium in Matchday 14 against Plateau United, the same result Kano Pillars got in Jos on Matchday 6.
Seven other home matches have however ended up in triumphs for Plateau United this term at home.
In third place are Rivers United who travel to Ilorin to encounter Kwara United, lone goal victims in Port Harcourt last Sunday. That result marked the seventh away defeat for Kwara United, which included 1-6 humiliation by Kano Pillars.
Nine home matches in their former name Delta Force and since the acquisition of that club have fetched Kwara United only five victories and two shared honours. In their first match as Kwara United, they lost 0-1 to Heartland in Ilorin and have also suffered 1-3 humiliation at the same ground against Plateau United.
Rivers United will be aiming at their third win on the road after beating Adamawa United (2-0) and Warri Wolves (1-0). United will also lead the league if they win and the results of Lobi Stars and Plateau United go their way.
Sunshine Stars, in No 4, are away in Nnewi to face FC Ifeanyi Ubah. Last Sunday in Akure, Sunshine shone in front of their fans winning 2-0 to break into the top four in place of Dakkada FC.
Wikki Tourists and Adamawa United surrendered to Sunshine Stars away this season, which means Ifeanyi Ubah should be mindful of their guests.
Akwa United were lucky to escape with a point in their kitty in the local derby against Dakkada midweek and they are in Enugu this time to face Rangers. The first leg in Uyo on Sunday was a goalless affair.
Katsina United wounded Warri Wolves 2-1 last weekend and arrive Warri Township Stadium aiming to replicate Rangers’ experience. In their last match on this ground, the Seasiders lost 1-2 to the Flying Antelopes.
Pillars returned to Kano last Sunday rueing their 1-3 capitulation to MFM in Agege after leading at the interval and having a large turnout of their fans in that vicinity backing them.
The invincible tag at Sani Abacha Stadium has been removed from Pillars this season. Opening with a goalless result against Rivers United, the Masu Gida lost 0-1 on Matchday 2 to Lobi Stars, and have also failed to beat Wikki Tourists and Warri Wolves on that ground.
MFM showed no respect to their hosts in their first away games of the season beating Heartland and Rangers, but have experienced setbacks, including the rejigging of their technical crew.
Like Rangers, defending champions Enyimba have four outstanding matches accumulated as a result of continental engagements. The People’s Elephant will aim at a double against local rivals Abia Warriors after winning the first leg 2-1 a week ago. Their 3-0 bashing of Wikki Tourists on Wednesday will boost them.
The fixtures
Abia Warriors v Enyimba
Rangers v Akwa United
Heartland v Adamawa United
FC Ifeanyi Ubah v Sunshine Stars
Kano Pillars v MFM
Kwara United v Rivers United
Nasarawa United v Jigawa Golden Stars
Plateau United v Dakkada FC
Warri Wolves v Katsina United
Wikki Tourists v Lobi Stars
Nigerian Football
Season’s first win for Akwa United and Ikorodu City
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.
Nigerian Football
Behold! Nigeria Football’s October 8 Magic
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.
Nigerian Football
Rivers flow to the top!
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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