Nigerian Football
EUNISELL BOOT: THE FIVE MEN GIVING THEIR BEST SHOTS
The lockdown has meant that the race for this year’s Eunisell Boot remains under wraps, though the battle for the biggest individual prize in Nigeria’s top division is expected to resume soon.
This season, strikers in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) are proving to be prolific in front of goal.
With the season just past the halfway mark, four players are already in double figures so far and the projection is that one of them could reach the 20-goal mark.
The most goals in a season in the NPFL still stands at 23, a feat which was achieved by a former winner of the Eunisell Boot, Mfon Udoh, six years ago.
However, the field for this season throws up different contenders with Rangers forward Israel Abia — the front runner with 12 goals.
On his heels are Ndifreke Effiong of Akwa United, Auwalu Ali of Kano Pillars and Plateau United’s Ibrahim Mustapha on 11 goals apiece while Enyimba’s Victor Mbaoma is on nine goals.
Top league writer, Fisayo Dairo, believes only three of the five players are front runners in the Eunisell Boot race. He picks Abia, Effiong, and Mbaoma ahead of others and posits that Abia looks likely to reach 20 goals this term.
“The front runners for me will be the trio of Israel Abia, Ndifreke Effiong and Victor Mbaoma. Abia because he was already settling in perfectly at Rangers and scored twice in his last game, the unfortunate death of Ifeanyi George also avails him the chance to play all games so you can fancy him to get up to eight goals in the remaining 14 matches for Rangers.”
“Ndifreke Effiong also because he seems to have mastered how to score in the nooks and crannies of the league. Having to play with a forward together, sometimes Akarandut Orok or Saidu Salisu has also helped him to do less physical work and concentrate on finishing.
“For Mbaoma, Enyimba have now gelled under Fatai Osho, his manager when he was one of the top scorers three years ago.
“I believe with the number of chances that Enyimba create each game, especially from someone like Cyril Olisema, Mbaoma and Dimgba will still score plenty more goals before the season ends,” Dairo said.
However, Auwalu cannot be dismissed as making up the number. He has been Kano Pillars’ mainstay for goals — scoring five in his last three matches before the lockdown.
Mustapha has also thrown his hat in the ring, scoring thrice in his last two matches for Plateau United following about a month spell without a goal.
With the League Management Company (LMC), a few days ago stating its plans to restart the top division and run it within six to eight weeks following the lockdown by the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the battle to claim the Eunisell Boot this year will take shape as the run-in to the season looms.
TOP-FIVE EUNISELL BOOT SCORERS
12 GOALS
Israel Abia (Rangers)
11 GOALS
Ndifreke Effiong (Akwa United)
Auwalu Ali (Kano Pillars)
Ibrahim Mustapha (Plateau United)
9 GOALS
Victor Mbaoma (Enyimba)
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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