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JOSEPH ARIBO IS NIGERIA’S 60TH SCORING DEBUTANT!

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Scottish Premiership club player, Joseph Oluwaseyi Temitope Ayodele-Aribo has become Nigeria’s 60th player to score in first appearance for the national team.

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Aribo in Scottish Rangers’ colours

He found the net barely four minutes in Nigeria’s friendly match with Ukraine on Tuesday night at Dnipro-Arena.

The 23-year-old was born in England, but is eligible to play for the Super Eagles.  

“I am really happy to have got this call-up to Nigeria and I just want to make the most of it and play as long as possible,” Football Scotland quoted him as saying on a Nigerian YouTube channel.

“I just do what I can for the team and make sure that we continue being the best that we can be.”

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Aribo moved to Ibrox on a free transfer from Charlton this summer, and has made 12 appearances so far

His impressive performance could be an indication of what should be expected from him in the days leading to the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying series.  

Sports Village Square recalls that the midfielder with attacking instinct has now joined the rank of other notable Nigerian players – Obafemi Martins, Finidi George, Uche Okechukwu, Thompson Usiyan and Matthias Obianika among others who scored in the very first time they played for Nigeria.

The last scoring debutant before Aribo was Bryan Idowu in November 2017 when Nigeria defeated Argentina 4-2.

It has been long that a previously uncapped player found the net. Peter Utaka and Osas Idehen did score for a second string Nigerian side of 2010 in the 5-2 demolition of Congo DR in a friendly tie in Abuja.

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Iwobi too missed being a scoring debutant has his first goal for Nigeria after having been substitute in two previous matches with Congo and Cameroon in friendly matches played in Vise, Belgium in October 2015.

The first scoring debutant for Nigeria was Tesilimi Balogun, in whose name a stadium in Lagos is named. It was against Sierra Leone in both countries’ maiden international duel on October 8, 1949, that he achieved his feat.

The last time Nigeria presented the full complement of its national team in Lagos was 2001 in an African Nations Cup qualifier. Victor Agali, having his first cap, scored the solitary goal of the encounter.

Obafemi Martins was also another scoring debutant when he found the net in Nigeria’s 3-0 demolition of Republic of Ireland in a friendly game on May 29, 2004 in London.

Barely six months later, Ayodele Makinwa joined the exclusive club when he score Nigeria’s only goal in a 2-1 loss to South Africa on the occasion of Mandela Challenge tie in Johannesburg. That was the first time South Africa scored and beat Nigeria.

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NIGERIA’S SCORING DEBUTANTS

PLAYER MATCH/ DATE VENUE

  1. Balogun Tesilimi Sierra Leone  October 8, 1949 Freetown
  2. Okoh Friday – 2 goals Gold Coast    October 20, 1951 Lagos
  3. Asoluka Cyril Gold Coast    October 20, 1951 Lagos
  4. Anieke Peter Gold Coast    October 20, 1951 Lagos
  5. Okere Titus   Gold Coast    October 20, 1951 Lagos
  6. Okwudili Daniel Gold Coast    October 27, 1956 Lagos
  7. Longe Julius   Gold Coast    October 27, 1956 Lagos
  8. Ejoh Hubert Gold Coast    October 27, 1956 Lagos
  9. Noquapor Patrick – 2goals v. Ghana October 27, 1957 Accra
  10. Ijeomah Isaac      Ghana        October 27, 1957 Accra
  11. Buraimoh Abudu – 2Goals v. Ghana October 25, 1958 Lagos
  12. Onyali Elkana v. Ghana October 10, 1959 Lagos
  13. Ohiri Christopher v. Ghana October 10, 1959 Lagos
  14. Chukwumah Egwuonu v. Tunisia December 10, 1961 Tunis
  15. Egbuonu Johnny v. Cameroon January 1, 1963, Yaounde
  16. Udemezue Chris v. Cameroon January 1, 1963, Yaounde
  17. Olatunji Lasisi v. Guinea July 27, 1963 Lagos
  18. Anieke Sunday v. Gabon August 28, 1965 Libreville
  19. Mordi Bobo v. Gabon August 28, 1965 Libreville
  20. Olowo-Oshodi Samsideen v. Congo November 5, 1966 Lagos
  21. Aghoghovbia Joe v. Cameroon December 10, 1968 Lagos
  22. Obianika Mathias – 2 Goals v. Upper Volta November 27, 1971 Lagos
  23. Oyarekhua Sunny v. Upper Volta November 27, 1971 Lagos
  24. Popoola Ben v. Cote d’Ivoire July 18, 1974 Lagos
  25. Ibeabuchi Ogidi v. Ghana August 24, 1974 Accra
  26. Usiyen Thompson v. Kenya February 7, 1976 Nairobi
  27. Godwin Iwelumo v. Benin February 14, 1977 Lagos
  28. Onwuachi Martins v. Benin October 14, 1978 Cotonou
  29. Boateng Leotis v. Tunisia July 12, 1980 Lagos
  30. Emmanuel Osigwe v. Tunisia July 12,1980,Lagos
  31. Nwokocha Chris v. Tanzania Dec. 20, 1980 Dar-es-Salam
  32. Ali Bala v. Upper Volta July 18, 1981 Lagos
  33. Adeshina Ademola v. Ethiopia March 7, 1982 Benghazi
  34. Omughele John v. Ghana October 30, 1983 Accra
  35. Sadi Dahiru v. Kenya April 20, 1985 Lagos
  36. Balarabe Abubakar v. Guinea April 9, 1989 Conakry
  37. Adekola Adeolu v. Guinea April 22, 1989 Ibadan
  38. Oyekanmi Taju v. Cote d’Ivoire January 25, 1990 Kaduna
  39. Okechukwu Uche v. Cote d’Ivoire January 25, 1990 Kaduna
  40. Lawal Dimeji v. Togo August 18, 1990 Lagos
  41. Finidi George v. Burkina Faso July 27, 1991 Lagos
  42. Taiwo Wasiu v. USA June 11, 1995 Boston
  43. Fatusi Tesilimi v. Czech Rep. Dec, 11, 1996 Casablanca
  44. Zeigbo Kenneth v. Cameroon August 7, 1997 Tunis
  45. Garba Ahmed v. Iran Jan. 28, 1998 Hong Kong
  46. Aghahowa Julius v. Morocco February 3, 2000 Lagos
  47. Ishola Shuaibu v. Malawi June 4, 2000 Kano
  48. Agali Victor v. Zambia January 13, 2001 Lagos
  49. Opabunmi Femi v. Kenya May 4, 2002 Lagos
  50. Ogochukwu Ileagwu v. Senegal October 12, 2002 Dakar
  51. Ogechukwu Uche v. Ghana December 15, 2002 Accra
  52. Akwueme Emeka v. Jordan April 28, 2004 Lagos
  53. Martins Obafemi v. Ireland May 29, 2004 London
  54. Makinwa Ayodele v. South Africa Nov. 17, 2004 Johannesburg
  55. Akabueze Chukwuma v. Kenya May 27, 2007 Nairobi
  56. Peter Utaka v. Congo DR March 3, 2010 Abuja
  57. Osas Idehen v. Congo DR March 3, 2010 Abuja
  58. Ehiosun Ekigho v. Sierra Leone February 9, 2011, Lagos
  59. Bryan Idowu. v.  Argentina, November 14, 2017
  60. Joseph Aribo  v. Ukraine September 10, 2019

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat

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Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.

Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.

Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.

FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.

Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.

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By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.

Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.

“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.

“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”

LONGER HALFTIMES

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Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.

“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.

“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”

The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.

“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.

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FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.

“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.

“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”

FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.

“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.

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“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.

-Reuters

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Former England and Man Utd midfielder Ince charged with drink-driving

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Championship - Norwich City v Reading - Carrow Road, Norwich, Britain - December 30, 2022, Reading manager Paul Ince applauds fans after the match Action Images/Matthew Childs/File Photo 

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.

Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.

“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.

“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”

Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.

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After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.

-Reuters

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From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro

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I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro

Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil. 

However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.

Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.

Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).

He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.

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His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.

These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people.  I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,”  he insists

The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius. 

“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.

‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”

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Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.

Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: I want to continue it.”

-Marca

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