Nigerian Football
Bet9ja/Lagos SWAN Cup kicks off December 3
The 2021 edition of Bet9ja/Lagos SWAN Cup will kick off on the 3rd of December at Legacy Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The Lagos State Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (Lagos SWAN) Boss, Debo Oshundun disclosed this at a media parley held in Lagos on Thursday while unveiling leading sports betting brand, Bet9ja as its headline sponsor.
Oshundun described the 2021 Bet9ja/Lagos SWAN Cup as the start of an amazing experience when all members come together to fraternise and practice what they preach.
Oshundun said, “This competition is a symbolic event when sports writers, sports casters, bloggers and sports reporting business gather together to practice what they preach. This year’s event is symbolic and of great importance after the Covid-19 pandemic that ravaged the world in 2020”.
Nigerian Brewery, MultiChoice, La Liga and Lagos State Sports Commission all made a return as our proud partners alongside Redbull, Intercontinental Distillery, Owu, GTBank and Nestle who are all coming on board for the first time.
La Liga Nigeria will supply all match day balls from the opening day till the final day as the Bet9ja/Lagos SWAN Cup official matchday ball partner.
“We are excited that we are gradually getting our lives back. As an icing on an already soft and sweet cake, we will be holding a Gala and Award Night on Friday, 10th of December, where we will be honouring our past chairmen, The Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu, Lagos State Sports Commission as well as Bet9ja for their continued support towards the growth of sports in Nigeria.
While further reacting, the Lagos SWAN Chairman said, “This partnership between the leading sports betting company in Nigeria and the most vibrant SWAN Chapter in Nigeria and one of the biggest in Africa is a partnership made in heaven which will continue to grow”.
Twelve teams will be slugging it out for the ultimate football title while 14 players will be participating in the table tennis event and 8 people competing for honours in the scrabble event.
In her remarks, the Brand manager, Bet9ja, Aisha Adams expressed the company’s delight in renewing its partnership with Lagos SWAN.
“Bet9ja is always pleased to be part of Lagos SWAN Week annually and we are looking forward to an exciting time this year.
“For us, Sport journalists take a premium spot in our mind and we are always happy to support you in your programme.”
The championship is slated between 3rd and 10th of December.
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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