Nigerian Football
AGBEKO MORGAN FIRES REMO STARS PAST STUBBORN J. ATETE TO STAY TOP OF NNL
Agbeko Morgan had a hat-trick of chances before tapping Remo Stars FC to a 1-0 home win over J. Atete FC to maintain their top spot on NNL Group B2 table.
Morgan tapped in Adah Mathias’ teasing cross after Joke Efoweho couldn’t catch at once, easing Remo Stars’ lingering pain from Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Lautech Complex in Ogbomosho.
Multiple brilliant performances from Akinsanmiro Ebenezer in previous games earned him a start in this encounter, with Olawale Yusuf returning to the starting line up in place of Victor Collins.
Both sides started slowly and only took a defender, Olawale Yusuf to make the first attempt on goal after he found a crowded defence line, he took at once and it went straight into the hands of the visitors’ goalkeeper, Joke Efoweho.
Akinsanmiro Ebenezer tried to get the first goal for the Sky Blue Stars but his attempt was saved by Joke Efoweho and the boys went on break without any goal in the first half.
For much of the first half both Remo Stars and Morgan appeared to be heading for an agonising evening, but then the young winger tapped home and the entire mood around Remo Stars Stadium changed.
Dada Oladimeji did a yeoman’s job from the visitors half, he dribbled all his markers to send a powerful cross inside J. Atete’s box but nobody was there to convert for the Sky Blue Stars.
Substitute Victor Osuagwu had a good chance to increase the tally for the host after he received a lofty cross from Ogunribide Oluwaseun, he headed at goal but Joke Efoweho was active to deny him.
Just immediately, Adah Mathias and Victor Osuagwu combined well to set up Dada Oladimeji, he took anxiously and the ball went over the bar.
All attempts to record his name in the goalscorers’ sheet, Akinsanmiro Ebenezer got another brilliant opportunity to score with his after Victor Osuagwu’s powerful cross but Joke Efoweho denied him yet again.
With the win for Remo Stars FC, they remain on top of the NNL Group B2 table and next for them is another trip to Delta State to face Apex Krane FC.
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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