Nigerian Football
Remo Stars coach, Ogunbote optimistic of winning in Lagos…as NPFL returnee, Remo Stars aim for shinning start
BY OLADIMEJI OSHODE
Head coach of Remo Stars of Ikenne, Gbenga Ogunbote has high expectations in the opening fixtures of the Nigeria Professional Football League which pitches his team against MFM.
He told the club’s media that he expected positive results. “The expectations are high and we will ensure that it doesn’t get over us. It is the first game and we will try as much as possible to manage the situation. All we need is a positive result.”
“My prayer is for us to get a positive result in Lagos because it will be a good start for me and the boys. It will be a tough game because any team that wants to play against my team always want to be extraordinary but that’s not withstanding, we will do our best.”
“My target for me this season is to finish in an appreciable position and most especially to ensure that the premier league status is kept.”
Remo Stars overcame MFM FC twice before this weekend’s encounter. First they came from behind to defeat to the Olukoya Boys 3-2 at the Dapo Abiodun Preseason Tournament.
They followed up with another defeat, 1-0 at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne in the semifinals of the Ogunjobi Gold Cup Pre-season Tournament before falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Olukoya Boys at the Legacy Pitch in Lagos.
This is going to be another interesting encounter between both sides in the opening fixtures of the NPFL.
Remo Stars will look to start this season right after engaging the services of one of the best coaches in Nigerian football, Gbenga Ogunbote.
Ogunbote also have experienced players such as Dayo Ojo, Stanley Okorom, Kamal Sikiru, Adebayo Abayomi, Ojukwu David, Akande Temitope and goalkeeper, Emmanuel Daniel among others.
The visitors will look to improve their opening games with a win after previously losing 2-1 to Plateau United in 2017 and a 1-1 draw with Bendel Insurance in 2019 both at the Gateway International Stadium in Sagamu.
Both sides have met four times in the top flight division having lost 1-0 to the Olukoya Boys three times and played a 1-1 draw in 2019 at the Agege Township Stadium in Lagos.
MFM will hope to continue their dominance over the Sky Blue Stars on Friday while a win or avoiding defeat will boost the Sky Blue Stars’ confidence going into the 2021/2022 NPFL season.
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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