Nigerian Football
Super Eagles Remain African’s FIFA Confederations Cup Goal Kings
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.
Even though Nigeria did not qualify for the just concluded FIFA Confederations Cup which the World Cup holders, Germany won as Coach Joachim Low took the team to a glorifying 152 outings and 102 wins, the competition still harbours for the Super Eagles, fond eternal memories.
With just two participations in 1995 in Saudi Arabia and 2013 in Brazil, the Super Eagles remain the African team with the highest number of goals in the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Despite the Super Eagles being absentees in the ongoing FIFA Confederation Cup in Russia, investigation by Sports Village Square reveals that the Super Eagles of Nigeria remains Africa goal king of the competition of Champion.
The Super Eagles scored 11 goals spread over two competitions and six matches. But the African team with best performance remains Nigeria’s next competitive opponent, Cameroon which played the final match of the 2003 competition but lost to hosts, France.
Russia 2017 was Cameroon’s third outing. Cumulatively, the current African champions have scored seven goals spread across nine matches in 2001, 2003 and 2017.
Apart from goal scoring, Nigeria made other marks in the Confederations Cup. Until the 2017 opening match which paired hosts, Russia, with New Zealand, Nigeria’s former national coach, the late Amodu Shaibu was the youngest coach to lead a team to the ‘Festival of Champions’. Sports Village Square reveals that the late Nigerian coach was 36 years and 263 days old when he led the Super Eagles to beat Japan 3-0 on January 6, 1995.
That record held until June 17 this year when Anthony Hudson led New Zealand to face Russia. He was 36 years and 96 days old. But since Hudson’s team lost the encounter with Russia, Nigeria’s Amodu therefore remains the youngest coach to have led a team to win a FIFA Confederations Cup match.
Nigeria’s Nnamdi Oduamadi remains the only African player to have scored a hat-trick in a FIFA Confederations Cup match. He achieved his feat four years ago when Nigeria beat Tahiti 6-1 which also remains the highest victory margin an African side achieved at the competition.
Breakdown of Goals by African teams runs thus:
• Russia 2017 ( Cameroon 2 goals)
• Brazil 2013 (Nigeria 7 goals)
• South Africa 2009 (South Africa 4 goals)
• South Africa 2009 (Egypt 4 goals)
• France 2003 (Cameroon 3 goals)
• Korea/Japan 2001 (Cameroon 2 goals)
• Mexico 99 (Egypt 5 goals)
• Saudi Arabia 1997 (South Africa 5 goals)
• Saudi Arabia 1995 (Nigeria 4 goals)
• Saudi Arabia 1992 ( Cote d’Ivoire 2 goals)
Nigerian Football
Remo Stars add fuel to the fire as title chase turns East – West battle
Added time-goal specialists, Remo Stars pulled off one of their now familiar traits, chalking up a valuable point as Skipper Nduka Junior scored in the 90+4 minute to scuttle an impending victory by Doma United on Wednesday evening.
When all-hope seemed over, Remo Stars had scored hope-reviving goals as they did against Lobi Stars, Insurance and a host of others in the Nigeria Premier League.
Getting a valuable point take them from fifth position to fourth their haul to 50, just a point below that of second and third placed Enyimba and Lobi Stars respectively.
The 1-1 scoreline also changed the complexion of the league table as their South West rivals were pushed down from their initial fourth position.
As it is, the struggle for the title is taking regional colouration as the top two- Enugu Rangers and Enyimba are from the South East while fourth and fifth – Remo Stars and Shooting Stars are from the South West.
Lobi Stars from the middle belt, stand in-between the South East and South West in the power struggle.
Remo Stars at the fourth position however still have an outstanding home game against Rivers United and that could still change the positions of the top six teams when the match is played.
Attention will now shift to match-day 31 as the league embarks on its home stretch.
On Friday, relegation-bound Heartland will be hosting rejuvenated Shooting Stars who have suddenly discovered they could return to continental competition next seasons after 25 years.
They have lately been having unbeaten runs. On Saturday, Kwara United will host desperate Akwa United who are struggling to avoid dropping into the lower league.
On the same day, Abia Warriors will be at home against Bayelsa United.
On Sunday seven matches are on the card. They are:
Kano Pillars v. Gombe United
Katsina United v. Sporting Lagos
Lobi Stars v. Bendel Insurance
Niger Tornadoes v Doma United
Plateau United v. Remo Stars
Rivers United v. Enugu Rangers
Sunshine Stars v. Enyimba
Nigerian Football
Rangers tenaciously hold on at Nigeria League top position
Enugu Rangers are holding on firmly at the top of the Nigeria Premier League after getting a hard 3-2 victory over visiting Abia Warriors.
The win consolidated their top position as the 2016 Nigerian champions now have 54 points, three points ahead their oriental brothers, Enyimba who are currently second on the log.
But the keen battle this season sees Lobi Stars who lost 2-0 to a rejuvenated Shooting Stars in Ibadan.
The victory has seen the Shooting Stars climbing up steadily and now placing fourth on the log. But their fellow western rivals may bounce back into reckoning and could leapfrog into second position if they obtain full points in their away duel on Wednesday with Doma United.
Just as the battle at the top is tough, so also it is at the backwaters. Probably Gombe United are the first confirmed for relegation. Heartland, Akwa United, Rivers United and borderline candidate, Sunshine Stars are in fierce battle.
Rivers United however still have six outstanding matches and could still leapfrog into safety zone. But Akwa United continued to their struggle to swim out of the relegation zone as they hammered Niger Tornadoes 4-1.
Tuesday results
Shooting Stars 2-0 Lobi Stars
Sporting Lagos 1-0 Sunshine Stars
Rivers United 3-1 Plateau United
Gombe United 1-2 Kwara United
Enyimba 1-0 Heartland
Enugu Rangers 3-2 Abia Warriors
Bendel Insurance 2-1 Kano Pillars
Bayelsa United 1-1 Katsina United
Akwa United 4-1 Niger United
Wednesday Fixture
Doma United v Remo Stars
Nigerian Football
Manu Garba, U17 World Cup winner, returns as Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach
The Board of Nigeria Football Federation has appointed former U17 World Cup winner Manu Garba as Head Coach of the Nigeria U17 boys, Golden Eaglets.
Garba had, in the same role, led the Golden Eaglets to win the FIFA U17 World Cup for Nigeria in the United Arab Emirates in 2013 – Nigeria’s fourth triumph at that stage.
Garba’s world-conquering squad in 2013 included Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Musa Mohammed, Chidiebere Nwakali and goalkeeper Dele Alampasu.
The squad, which finished as runners-up at the African U17 Championship in Morocco after a penalty shootout defeat by Cote d’Ivoire, defeated Mexico 6-1 in their opening game, drew 3-3 with Sweden and hammered Iraq 5-0. In the Round of 16, they ran Iran ragged 4-1, dispatched Uruguay 2-0 in the quarter-finals and trounced Sweden 3-0 in the semi-finals, before they dislodged Mexico by the same margin in the final to lift the trophy.
The former Nigeria international will now immediately resume the role and take charge of the team’s preparations for next month’s WAFU B U17 Championship, taking place in Ghana.
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