Nigerian Football
NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT UPBEAT ON RUSSIA WORLD CUP TICKET
Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has told the Super Eagles that the Federal Government of Nigeria is upbeat about the Super Eagles’ chances of clinching a 2018 World Cup ticket this Saturday.
Nigeria hosts Zambia’s Chipolopolo at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium Uyo, this weekend, in a crucial World Cup qualifier. A win earns Nigeria the ticket to the World Cup but an otherwise result may just be a setback and a delay till last match day before the slot is decided.
Dalung is optimistic that the Super Eagles, knowing that a victory against the Chipolopolo will guarantee them an instant qualification for the World Cup in Russia will go for the maximum three points.
Reacting ahead of the important match, Dalung urged the Super Eagles to put up a worthy display against the second placed Zambia.
“This match is a very important one for both teams as the result will play a key role in determining who will be at the World Cup in Russia. We started the World Cup qualification campaign in Zambia and we beat them 2-1 in the presence of their President and their home crowd.
“We have maintained the lead after a 4-0 routing of Cameroon here in Nigeria last month.
“Despite topping the group, we will not leave anything to chance against the Zambians who will be desperate to record an upset against us. We saw what Zambia did to Algeria on match day 4 of the world cup series and we cannot afford to be complacent against a team who will be desperate to make a difference.”
Dalung who will be physically present in Uyo to support the team tasked the Super Eagles to once and for all put the qualification campaign to bed with one game to go against Algeria.
“The sole ticket in our group is for us to win with one game to go against Algeria. A victory in Uyo against Zambia is not negotiable.”
Dalung believes that getting the job done on Saturday will save football loving Nigerians the unnecessary anxiety ahead of the final group game against Algeria.
“The Super Eagles have prepared very well and they have also been mobilized. The team are in high spirit and we want to assure Nigerians that we will definitely make good our promise of delivering the 2018 World Cup ticket to Nigerians.
He called on Nigerians to troop out in their numbers on Saturday to cheer the team to victory which will guarantee the Super Eagles, their sixth World Cup appearance after making their debut in 1994.
“I want to thank Nigerians for the tremendous and inspiring support they have been giving to the team. The players are also aware of the sentiments of Nigerians and they will not disappoint them. Let them continue to support and pray for the Super Eagles.”
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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