Nigerian Football
Man of the Match, Andy Okpe, Coach Ogunbote still in blue cloud as Ikenne host its first NPFL match
The 3-0 defeat of one of Nigerian football powerhouses, Heartland by Remo Stars on Sunday was the first ever Nigeria Professional Football League match in the town known more for its political significance as the home of some legendary politicians such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Tai Solarin, Chief Kehinde Sofola and the current Nigeria Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibajo.
Little wonder, the home stadium of Remo Stars was filled to the brim in the only pavilion designed for spectators.
They were not disappointed as the result squared with expectation. Coach Gbenga Ogunbote, a veteran of the league remarked that he was delighted with his boys for grinding out all three points.
With the win, the club is having a perfect run in the league having gathered maximum six points in two matches and not conceding any goal.
Speaking with RSFC Media, Gbenga Ogunbote disclosed that he is worried that two of his first team players (Isah Ali and Qudus Akanni) were injured in the Sunday match.
“I am happy and delighted we won the game, but we lost the grip of the game. I had spoken to them about it and it showed in how they expressed themselves in the second half. It is good it happened while we were two goals up, it would have been as mess if they have scored a goal, but we have learned for it.”
“It calls for concern on my paths losing two first team players, it is massive on my side. We have capable medical crew, we will wait to see what they can do but if they cannot do anything, we will be forced to pick from the substitutes.”
“The next game is a tempting one, we just need to try everything humanly possible to get the result we desire, positive result in that game will make us stabilize and it will give the players the massive confident to know that we can remain in the league.”
So far, the Remo Stars have not picked the ball out of their own net. Goalkeeper, Kayode Bankole has dedicated his clean sheets to God, his coaches and his teammates.
He helped his side to a 2-0 victory against MFM FC in Lagos and now a 3-0 victory with two clean sheets in two games in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Remo Stars defeated Heartland FC 3-0 at the Remo Stars Stadium all thanks to Andy Okpe’s brace and a half volley from Samuel Anakwe to give the host all three points.
Speaking with RSFC Media, Kayode indicated that he is hopeful of getting another clean sheets and all three points against Nasarawa United in matchday three of the NPFL.
“I am glad, I want to thank God Almighty and my teammates for making it possible for him to achieve the clean sheets. I can’t do it alone and that’s why it’s called a team work.”
“We play Nasarawa United on Wednesday and I hope we get another victory come Wednesday, it’s not going to be easy, but I am hopeful that we will get another win and another clean sheet by God’s grace.”
“Like we have always said, our major target is to remain in the league, and we will accept any other addition that come our way.”
Meanwhile, the hero of Sunday victory, Andy Okpe has remarked that the game with Heartland was very tough.
He put the Sky Blue Stars in front three minutes into the game before getting his brace two minutes after his first goal to give the host a comfortable win.
Speaking with RSFC Media, he made it known that they came into the game with the mentality of winning and it really assisted them in getting the deserved victory.
‘It was a nice game for me though the game was tough, but we had to put in a lot of effort to get the win, we came into the game with the mentality of winning, and we are not expected to lose on this home ground because we call it the slaughter ground.”
“We are already preparing for the game against Nasarawa United and we will go into it with a bigger mentally than this and we hope to get the victory.”
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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