Nigerian Football
RIBADU RESUMES ANTI GRAFT WAR, THIS TIME IN NFF
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Former anti-graft czar, Nuhu Ribadu is to carry on the cleansing of the society in another sector of Nigeria’s national life.
The former police officer has been conscripted into the football governing body of Nigeria as the chairman of the NFF Committee for Ethics and Fair Play.
He was the pioneer chairman of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He is joined in the NFF’s Committee for Ethics and Fair Play by Felix Awogu, the General Manager of Supersport.
That is the high point of the re-composition of the previously dissolved standing committees of the NFF.
The reconstitution of the 18 standing committees and two ad-hoc committees were announced by the Media Department of the NFF. But only the chairmen and vice chairmen have been revealed. They are:
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande – Chairman
Ibrahim Musa Gusau – Vice Chairman
INTERNAL AUDIT COMMITTEE
Sunday Dele-Ajayi – Chairman
Mohammed Alkali – Vice Chairman
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Seyi Akinwunmi – Chairman
Shehu Dikko – Vice Chairman
TECHNICAL AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Yusuf Ahmed Fresh – Chairman
Chidi Ofo Okenwa – Vice Chairman
REFEREES COMMITTEE
Sharif Rabiu Inuwa – Chairman
Yusuf Ahmed Fresh – Vice Chairman
LEGAL COMMITTEE
Seyi Akinwunmi – Chairman
Chris Green – Vice Chairman
COMMITTEE ON WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Ayo Omidiran – Chairman
Aisha Falode – Vice Chairman
YOUTH FOOTBALL COMMITTEE
Seyi Akinwunmi – Chairman
Emmanuel Iba – Vice Chairman
FUTSAL AND BEACH SOCCER COMMITTEE
Felix Anyansi-Agwu – Chairman
Samson Adamu – Vice Chairman
COMMITTEE ON SPORTS MEDICINE
Dr. Muazu Abdulkadir – Chairman
Dr. James Omietimi – Vice Chairman
PLAYERS STATUS COMMITTEE
Chris Green – Chairman
Owoicho Adejo-Ogiri – Vice Chairman
COMMITTEE FOR ETHICS AND FAIR PLAY
Nuhu Ribadu – Chairman
Felix Awogu – Vice Chairman
MEDIA AND PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande – Chairman
Aisha Falode – Vice Chairman
FOOTBALL COMMITTEE
Seyi Akinwunmi – Chairman
Shehu Dikko – Vice Chairman
STRATEGIC STUDIES COMMITTEE
Shehu Dikko – Chairman
Yusuf Ahmed Fresh – Vice Chairman
PROTOCOL AND CEREMONIAL COMMITTEE
Musa Duhu – Chairman
Sharif Rabiu Inuwa – Vice Chairman
MARKETING, SPONSORSHIP AND TELEVISION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Shehu Dikko – Chairman
Emeka Inyama – Vice Chairman
SECURITY COMMITTEE
Ibrahim Musa Gusau – Chairman
Oswald Atuake – Vice Chairman
AD-HOC COMMITTEES
MATCH COMMISSIONERS’ APPOINTMENT COMMITTEE
Babagana Kalli – Chairman
Sunday Dele-Ajayi – Vice Chairman
TECHNICAL STUDY GROUP
Abba Yola – Chairman
Taribo West – Vice Chairman
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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