Nigerian Football
NRA Kicks Against LMC Decisions
The LMC decisions on last Sunday’s league fixture of Kano Pillars and Akwa United has not gone down well with the Nigeria Referees Association, NRA.
In swift reaction via a release by the body’s national publicity secretary, Kelechi Mejuobi, the NRA expressed reservation over the outcome of the decisions taking by the LMC concerning the attack meted to match officials in the Kano Pillars vs. Akwa Utd in Kano.
NRA President, Tade Azeez stated that the decisions did not go down well with the referees’ body which feels unprotected by the indifference approach of the LMC to the plight of referees whenever they are attacked at match venues.
In what appears like a protest letter, the NRA has dispatched to the LMC, the Association complained about the conspicuous absence of any form of cost for medical treatment the referees underwent after suffering several degrees of injuries after the match.
The statement endorsed by Tade Azeez, NRA President reads thus “After a careful study of the decisions LMC made public, the NRA has no option than to protest the indifference attitude of the league organisers to the plight of referees involved in the match and persistent non consideration of the post-attack treatment of referees after sustaining injuries arising from physical assaults before, during and after matches.
“The careful exclusion of the medical treatment of the highly injured referees and non consideration of the amount they must have spent and other cost for treatment of injuries after the incident is not only unfortunate but unacceptable to us.
“Suffice it to note that the referees were the worst hit and unfortunate victims of the riotous acts of supporters in Kano. Ironically, LMC did not consider the referees in the decisions for necessary compensation”
While asking the LMC to recall that “in the past, referees attacked and assaulted by fans in match venues failed to receive monies spent for medical treatment; an ugly trend that has not gone down well with the NRA especially, the listed Premier League referees.
It added that “except, referees in NPFL are the “sacrificial lamb” of the elite domestic league, the LMC would have considered the fate of match officials attacked by club players and supporters at league centres”
The NRA further said “Referees have suffered permanent and temporary injuries due to fans’ attack. The scars are sad reminders of zero action from LMC.
“Furthermore, medical treatment claims and cost of items lost by referees in the past have not been redeemed till date while the LMC continues to crave for a better league without considering the plight of referees after suffering violence in match venues.
“In view of the above, the NRA requests the LMC to reconsider the sanctions handed to clubs who attacked referees in the incidents decided to far as no match is worth the life of any referee in Nigeria.
“Once again, the NRA is upbeat about joining LMC in taking the NPFL to the next level by urging its members to continue to free, fair and firm in all matches” the statement added.
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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