Nigerian Football
Kwara Face Ekiti As The Chief Of Naval Staff Cup Gets To Final
BY PAUL AKHAGBEMHE
The scores have finally been settled but the search for the 2021 champions of the Chief of the Naval Staff and NOWA.Cup competitions is not yet over
True to expectations, the NSCDC playing pitch in Souka the Federal Capital Territory Abuja was virtually on fire on Friday as the battle to lift the Chief of the Naval Staff converted trophy rages.
In the boys first semi finals, the defending champions, the ODEP boys of Ekiti virtually resorted to Prayers before they could overcome the Kano State team’s desperate bid for victory
The nerve cracking encounter went all the way to the final whistle before the Ekiti team won 8-7 on penalties after a goalless draw
In the second semi finals, Kebbi team also put up the fight of their lives, missing several goal opportunities due to inexperience.
Although the game was tension soaked, the Kwara team had to rely on mother luck and determination to beat their Kebbi opponents 1-0
It was drama mixed with controversy all the way in the girls’ matches. The first semi finals match between Imo girls and Cross River was highly emotional as the Imo girls who were tipped to get to the finals allowed overconfidence to take control of the team, giving room for the underdogs Cross Rivers to run away with a lone goal victory
More painful was the second semi finals match between Kwara and Ekiti girls.
The vuvuzela was so loud that even the pundits gave the match to Ekiti before the commencement of the game.But they were all wrong.
The Kwara girls proved it as they stood their grounds with never say die display that yeilded the much needed Victory
It was Kwara 1 Ekiti 0
After a week long battle for the important titles Saturday will witness the formal closing of the football championship
The third place match will be between Imo girls and Ekiti, while the boys game will be between Kano and Kebbi
The girls’ final match will come up first at the Old Parade ground in Abuja, with Kwara locking horns with their Cross Rivers Counterpart while the boys final will be between Kwara and Ekiti
The Youths Sports Federation Of Nigeria YSFON Says the 2021 Edition of the Chief of Naval Staff and NOWA Championships have again opened a window of opportunities for Nigerian Youths to exhibit their talents being the future great of our society.
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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