Nigerian Football

AGOYE ASSUMES DUTY ON WEDNESDAY AS 3SC BEGINS LIFE AT NNL

Published

7 years ago

October 29, 2017

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The newly appointed coach of Shooting Stars, Edith Agoye will have his first official interaction with his players as they report to camp on Wednesday.

According to a media release by the club’s media officer, Jubril Arowolo, the players have been directed to report in camp in preparation for the new football season at Nigeria National League, the second tier of the Nigerian football league.

According to the release, the directive came on Sunday from the Team Manager, Dimeji Lawal. Meanwhile, Agoye is still enjoying the overwhelming acceptance from all quarters since the announcement of his appointment.

Jubril Arowolo remarked that in spirit of sportsmanship, Agoye’s former boss in the club’s technical crew, Fatai Amoo joined the multitude to congratulate him shortly after his confirmation.

Others who have hailed the appointment include Shooting Stars former General Manager and also former Super Eagles coach, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, who Sports Village Square learnt, called to express his confidence in Agoye.

It was Chief Onigbinde who gave the club its acronym, 3SC when the club dropped its former name of IICC at the advent of professional football in Nigeria in 1990. According to Arowolo, Onigbinde called and remarked that he believed Agoye, a former player of the club, will bring his experience to bear in the resurgence of the team.

“Congratulations on your appointment and I pray you succeed in steering the team to glory. With your knowledge and experience in the game, I believe you can do it”, Onigbinde was quoted to have said.

Also, Agoye’s former coach while still playing for Shooting Stars, Niyi Akande, commended the club’s management for making the right choice. “I made bold to say on behalf of the club’s ex players and coaches that the choice of Agoye was timely and we shall do everything to support his to succeed”, he concludes.

Former skipper and later General Manager of the club, Taiwo Ogunjobi who was also a former general secretary and member of the NFF, reportedly described Agoye’s choice as perfect. “Honestly, the appointment of a perfect choice and we must all do everything to make him succeed”, Ogunjobi remarked.

A renowned U.S. based photo journalist, Raheem Olatunji who is popularly called “Socrates” described Agoye as a round peg in round hole.

“Congratulations on your new appointment as the head coach of our darling team may your tenure bring the desired goal and blessings for all. I sincerely wish you best of luck in all your endeavours”.

Nigerian Football

Behold! Nigeria Football’s October 8 Magic

Published

27 mins ago

October 8, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s Godwin Iwelumo terrorising Egypt’s goalmouth 47 years ago in an October 8 match. Nigeria won 4-0 inflicting the worst ever defeat on Egypt in a World Cup qualifier.

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.

Nigerian Football

Rivers flow to the top!

Published

2 days ago

October 6, 2024

Kunle Solaja

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 85^th minute.

Sunday Results