Nigerian Football
Massive Win for Nigeria; Devastating Blow for Cameroon
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, Uyo.
It may have just been a dream for the Super Eagles of Nigeria to beat Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions and have a nine-point head start in the final qualifying group for Russia 2018; it turned a nightmare for African champions, Cameroon who were completely routed after a heavy 4-0 defeat in Uyo on Friday.
The African champions are probably just going to play for pride in the reverse fixture in Yaoundé on Monday.
What a glorious day for Nigeria whose Muslim faithful started the day with prayers and the whole nations ended it with massive celebrations as the Super Eagles fly nearer to Russia 2018.
They now have a commanding control of the group, even with Zambia and Algeria still waiting to play their Match Day 3 fixture this Saturday. The Super Eagles may not have to worry so much about the outcome of that match, but focus on Monday’s match in Yaoundé.
What a day for the Super Eagles who started the game almost sluggishly like an ancient locomotive but finished up with the speed of a supersonic jet. The match initially looked like starting with an almost half filled stadium and even the Super Eagles in their forest green attire initially looked being dominated by the Indomitable Lions who were making forays and massively muscling out their smaller physique opponents.
Almost within a quarter of an hour they had tested Ikechukwu Ezenwa who was having his first experience among the big boys. He was a hero as he calmly thwarted most of the on target shots of the Cameroonians.
Twenty minutes had passed before the Super Eagles began to show their colours and wings. They started increasing the tempo of the match like a musical display moving from slow beat into high tempo.
Almost at 10 minutes intervals, splendid Victor Moses, a hero of the game was switching wings with fellow Moses – Simon Moses Dandy. What could have been the curtain raiser was in the 22nd minute. Following an interchange of passes between Simon Moses Dandy and Wilfred Ndidi, the latter found Skipper Mikel Obi who floated the ball on the path of an unmarked Victor Moses.
Oh! He blasted the ball over the crossbar. The tempo continued as Nigeria began to gain the upper hand. Then in the 25th minute, the same time Nigeria scored in the corresponding fixture with Algeria last November, Victor Moses blasted in the ball, but it was ruled offside.
The Super Eagles maintained the tempo. It would be just a couple of minutes before the Cameron defence caved in. Victor Moses missed a chance, but almost instantly, Odion Ighalo as Mikel Obi tore open the Cameroon defence to put Ighalo in vantage position to score.
Almost at the same time he scored against Algeria last November, Mikel Obi blasted home to the roof of the net to double Nigeria’s lead just before half time.
The Super Eagles scored two more goals in the second half through Victor Moses and substitute Kelechi Iheanacho. Great performance by the Eagles especially Leon Balogun and Ekong William in the defence and of course, goalkeeper Ezenwa.
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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