Nigerian Football
AGAIN, 13 IS NIGERIA’S WORLD CUP LUCKY NUMBER
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Nigeria on Saturday became the 13th team to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup after those of hosts, Russia and four other European countries, four Asian teams, two from CONCACAF and Brazil in CONMEBOL.
And so, the figure 13 which often is considered an unlucky number has again played a significant role in Nigeria’s World Cup fortunes.
Sports Village Square recalls that the Super Eagles’ path to the Russia 2018 World Cup began on a 13th day, November 13, 2015 in Lobamba, Swaziland with a goalless draw with the hosts.
The Super Eagles, in beating Zambia 1-0 on Saturday attained a total of 13 points which is insurmountable in Group B of the African qualifying group.
What is more, the qualifying goal scored by Alexander Iwobi was the 13th Nigeria netted in the entire 2018 World Cup qualifiers which Nigeria began with a goalless outing with Swaziland on 13th November 2015.
Nigeria won the reciprocal match 2-0 in Port Harcourt to qualify for the draw for the third round in Africa in which eleven more goals have been scored to bring the total to 13.
What then is the myth surrounding figure 13 that it is always attached with unlucky association? Thirteen is so disliked that many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue.
Many high-rise buildings avoid having a 13th floor, some hospitals avoid labelling rooms with the number 13 and many airports will not have a gate 13.
In support of the myth around figure 13, reference is often made to the Bible where Judas Iscariot, the 13th guest to arrive at the Last Supper, was the person who betrayed Jesus Christ.
Apolo 13 was the only unsuccessful moon mission has also been cited to support the myth around number 13. The myth is also stronger when it has to do with date, especially if it is a Friday.
It was on Friday the 13th of February in 1976 that Nigeria’s Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammad was killed by mutineers.
Also, Friday, October 13, 1972, was a bad day in the history of aviation. That’s the day that Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 infamously crashed in the Andes, killing 29 people. On the exact same day, 174 people were killed when a Soviet Aeroflot crashed in a lake about a kilometre from the runway.
In November 13, 2015, a Friday, is infamously remembered for the series of coordinated Paris terrorist attacks including that of the famous Stade de France where a scheduled friendly international match was to hold. Close to 150 people were killed.
But for Nigerian football, 13 has been a lucky number. Sports Village Square recalls that Chisom Chikatara, Nigeria’s hero at the 2016 African Nations Championship wore jersey number 13 when Niger Republic was demolished by four goals to one.
- Chisom Chikatara in shirt number 13 salvaged a point for Nigeria in a 2016 CHAN encounter with Tunisia. Earlier, his three goals played crucial factor in 4-1 defeat of Niger Republic in the opening match.
In the process, the number 13 shirted Chikatara became the tournament’s second player to score a hat trick. In also drawing 1-1 with Tunisia in the tournament, the man with the ‘unlucky number’ was Nigeria’s saviour.
Chikatara is not the only Nigerian having 13 as magic number. Sunday Oliseh does, just as Tijani Babangida.
Oliseh is the 13th Nigerian to be appointed the coach of the national team. As a player, he led the Super Eagles to become the first qualifier, outside the hosts, for France ’98 World Cup. One significant fact of the qualification was the role of figure 13.
Like in the current Russia 2018 series, Nigeria qualified for France ’98 amassing 13 points even with a match at hand in the qualifying series.
The Super Eagles got launched into qualification mood through a 13th minute goal from an unlikely scorer, Sunday Oliseh. It was his first ever goal for Nigeria after over 20 caps since his debut in the 6-0 defeat of Ethiopia in 1993.
His next goal for Nigeria, perhaps Nigeria’s most spectacular World Cup goal, was scored 13 minutes to the end of the Nigeria’s opening game with Spain. The Super Eagles beat Spain 3-2.
With 13 minutes to go, Sunday Oliseh scores with a blistering shot to give Nigeria a 3-2 win over Spain at France ’98 World Cup.
Significantly, Nigeria’s total World Cup goal-haul stood at 13 at the close of the France ’98. That 13th goal was scored by Tijani Babangida, wearing shirt number 13. It came 13 minutes to the end of the 4-1 loss to Denmark. Significantly too, the total number of goals Nigeria conceded at the World Cup stood at 13 at the close of France ‘98.
- Shirt number 13, Tijani Babangida shapes up to score Nigeria’s 13th World Cup goal 13 minutes to end the match with Denmark at the 1998 World Cup.
The magic of shirt number 13 is not peculiar to Chikatara and Babangida in the national team. Former Lagos ACB forward, Godwin Iwelumo was famous for the shirt number 13.
He scored in his debut for Nigeria in a 1978 All Africa Games qualifiers against Benin Republic on February 14, 1977. Subsequently, Iwelumo was famous for always scoring Nigeria’s goal number two. Who says 13 is an unlucky number?
The Nigeria U17 women’s team has been given incentives to make it to the Women’s World Cup for the eighth time.
The team, Flamingos, who arrived in Algiers in the early hours of Wednesday aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul, are highly inspired by the imminence of another FIFA World Cup ticket as well as further financial windfall from the Nigeria Football Federation and billionaire business mogul Kunle Soname.
Soname gifted the young players and their officials the sum of N4 million (one million naira for every goal) following their commanding win over the North Africans at the Remo Stars Stadium on Saturday, while the NFF gave out the sum of N2 million (five hundred thousand naira for every goal).
President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau and Soname have both confirmed that the same financial incentives are in place for the second leg in Blida on Friday.
“Our objective is clear – to win the FIFA World Cup ticket. That is the big motivation.
“Yet, we have been further incentivised by the monetary rewards. My girls will go all out on Friday night,” Head Coach Bankole Olowookere said.
Olowookere, who led the Flamingos to their last two World Cup ventures, will most likely rely on first-leg two-goal heroine Queen Joseph, lone-goal scorer Zainab Raji and Kaosarat Olanrewaju to start at the fore, with Shakirat Moshood, Muinat Rotimi and Philomena Isaiah supplying the passes from the midfield.
Goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma and defenders Azeezat Oduntan, Hannah Ibrahim, Christiana Sunday and Jumai Adebayo are also likely to start.
The Confederation of African Football has selected Cameroonian official Marie Noelle Etong to be the referee, with her compatriots Marcelle Teikeu and Innocentia Ntangti as assistant referee 1 and fourth official, respectively, while Chadian Ngarassoum Victorine will be assistant referee 2.
Oumou Souleymane Kane from Mauritania will be the commissioner, and Sabelo Maphosa-Sibindi from Zimbabwe will be in the role of referee assessor.
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Former president of the initially 15-member West African Football Union (WAFU), Chief Jonathan Boytie Ogufere, has expressed his heartfelt condolences over the recent death of former national team captain and coach, Christian ‘Chairman’ Chukwu.
He remarked that the erstwhile Enugu Rangers’ defence stalwart will ‘be dearly missed’. In a personally signed letter of condolence, Ogufere described Chukwu, who died on Saturday, April 12, in Enugu after a brief illness at 74, as a ‘hero of our time and a friend’.
The nonagenarian recalled with nostalgia how he nearly recruited the young Chukwu for his P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu, adding he was impressed with how the ‘Field Marshal Christian Chukwuemeka ‘Chairman ‘ Chukwu (MFR), conducted himself throughout his career as he led both the national team, the then Green Eagles and his beloved Enugu Rangers to many conquests.
“I join numerous others to mourn the transition of the legendary Christian Chukwu, a hero of our time and friend,” the Ugbugba of Okpe Kingdom wrote.
“As one of the young academicals discovered after the end of the Civil War in 1970, I tried to enlist into my club, the P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu but he was fair and frank in informing me that he had already joined Enugu Ranges Football Club, and I respected that attitude. From the rivalries between the two clubs, his exploits as a central defender were very visible.”
He continued: “Christian Chukwu emerged at the national level as a trustworthy and formidable captain of the national team who led by example.
“He was one of the heroes during the Golden age of Nigerian football when I was one of the Board Members of the Nigeria Football Association under the chairmanship of Chief Sunday Dankaro as Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980 for the first time where Christian Chukwu as captain of the Green Eagles was declared the best player of the tournament. He led the national team in several battles, which endeared him to millions of football lovers.
“After his playing days, he showed his talents through coaching in Nigeria and abroad.
“I express my sincere condolences to the family he left behind, the football family and the country in general. He will be dearly missed.
“May the good Lord grant his noble soul eternal rest,” he noted.
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Remo Stars are coasting to what will be their greatest moment ever, a win of the Nigeria Premier Football League title, as they recorded a 1-0 win over Shooting Stars in Ibadan in a match played behind closed doors.
In doing so, they achieved their sixth double of the season, having earlier beaten Shooting Stars in the first stanza of the league.
They maintained the seven-point lead over second-placed Rivers United, who also beat Sunshine Stars 1-0 in Port Harcourt.
After a ding-dong affair, Alex Oyowah scored the vital goal for Remo Stars from a right-wing cross from Ismail Sodiq.
In another match, Ikorodu City continued to work tenaciously to obtain a continental ticket as they held El Kanemi to a 1-1 draw.
SUNDAY RESULTS
- El Kanemi 1-1 Ikorodu City
- Niger Tornados 1-1 Bayelsa United
- Heartland 0-0 Kwara United
- Plateau United 1-0 Akwa United
- Rivers United 1-0 Sunshine Stars
- Shooting Stars 0-1 Remo Stars
- Bendel United 1-1 Nasarawa United
SATURDAY
- Katsina United 0-0 Abia Warriors
- Enyimba 2-1 Kano Pillars
- Lobi Stars 2-4 Enugu Rangers
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