Nigerian Football
REMO STARS HOPE TO EXTEND 100 UNBEATEN RUN AT HOME
As the second round of the Nigeria National League (NNL) resume, Remo Stars Football Club will aim to continue their hundred percent home record when they welcome FC One Rocket to Remo Stars Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Sky Blue Stars go into this encounter with a 3-1 victory over Stationery Stores few days back in a friendly match played at Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne-Remo.
Before the end of the first round, the Sky Blue Stars visited FC One Rocket at the Godswill Akpabio Training Pitch and suffered a 1-0 loss after Ugochukwu Ejike converted a long range effort in the 77th minute.
The visitors are yet to lose a game in their last three NNL games, and they are hopeful to pick up a win on the road on Sunday Evening, with the knowledge that three points will take them ahead of the Sky Blue Stars who are currently two points ahead of them.
A win for the Sky Blue Stars will see them maintain their three points lead on top of the table to keep their Super 8 qualification hope alive.
The Sky Blue Stars have a pool of players to pick for Sunday’s game aside from Adegbite Opeyemi who is still on the sideline.
Meanwhile, Head Coach, Daniel Ogunmodede indicated that they have a target and reaffirmed they must continue to be focused on their game to actualise their dreams of returning to topflight Football.
“The game on Sunday is going to be a tough match, they defeated us in their home, and we also have to do the same here because it is just a step to getting closer to our target.”
“The boys are prepared because we played couple of friendly matches during the season break, we brought in some players, and they are equally ready to be a part of our success story this year.”
“We need to defeat them to maintain our hundred percent home record, we have decided not to loss any game on this ground. It won’t be easy because the visitors have a good team, they have a target as well. It is then left to us to ensure we don’t compromise our stand on winning on our games.” Ogunmodede concludes.
Also the goalkeeper, Bankole Kayode has hinted that he want to maintain his number one spot with increasing his number of clean sheets in the ongoing Nigeria National League Season.
Bankole who had a chat with RSFC Media said he is quite happy to have eight clean sheets in the first round, and he hopes to continue their form when they take on FC One Rocket on Sunday in the second round of the season.
“It is a privilege for me to be the goalkeeper with the highest number of clean sheets in the first round of the season, it is not my making alone and I must appreciate my coaches and fellow teammates for helping me to achieve this feat.”
“I will continue to work hard, I want to be the best goalkeeper in the league and I know it is doable. It might not be easy but with the cooperation of my teammates and the correction from my coaches I know I will succeed.” Bankole Kayode.
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
NFF Communication director unfolds 20 Points of a 20-hour ordeal on Libyan soil
African football legends, Adebayor and Aubameyang condemn Libya’s treatment of Super Eagles
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Players boycott Libyan national team
-
AFCON5 days ago
Billiat’s penalty seals Zimbabwe’s 1-0 win over Namibia
-
AFCON1 week ago
Facts & Figures as AFCON 2025 qualifiers enter Matchday 3
-
AFCON6 days ago
AFCON 2025 in Morocco: Everything you need to know
-
AFCON5 days ago
Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri alleges poor treatment in Nigeria
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
CAF compels Kwasi Appiah to step down from Ghana FA
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Fastest World Cup final scorer is dead!
-
AFCON1 day ago
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode