AFCON
All hail Nigeria’s trio of ‘Hattrick-Plus-One’ heroes
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
A two-digit scoreline is uncommon in competitive international matches. The Super Eagles achieved that in the 10-0 defeat of Sao Tome and Principe.
Also, scoring hattrick in a full international is an enviable feat. Yet, it is not a common phenomenon for an individual to score three goals in a match for Nigeria. The number of players to have achieved the feat in 73 years of Nigeria national team is still under 10.
To raise the bar by scoring four goals or more is even a rarity. Only three players belong to the class of hattrick plus one. They are Elkanah Onyeali, Rashidi Yekini and Victor Osimhen. Although Oghenekaro Etebo scored four against Japan at the football event of Rio 2016 Olympics, the match does not fall within the category of Grade A, being an U23 game.
Onyeali scored four against Benin Republic (then Dahomey); Rashidi put in four against Burkina Faso and now Victor Osimhen has joined the ‘Hattrick Plus One’ club.
Onyeali who achieved the feat first has been the only Nigerian player to have a 100 per cent goalscoring record in just a little over five caps.
Then a player of the Port Harcourt township team, he burst into reckoning in his first appearance for Nigeria, scoring in an Olympic Games qualifier with Ghana on 10 October 1959. He did not only score two goals in his first match, he extended his scoring to eight goals in five matches.
He later ventured abroad, playing for the third division Transmere Rovers in the UK.
As if by geometric intention, there appears to be a regular intervals of such. Consider this: El Kanah Onyeali scored four in 10-1 demolition of Benin Republic (then known as Dahomey) in the contest for the newly introduced Kwame Nkrumah Cup in the West African Football Federation (WAFF) – founded in Ghana in March 1959 and later went moribund to be refounded on 7 Septemebr 1975 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire as West African Football Union (WAFU). WAFU was later split into two by CAF on 16 May 2011.
After Centre forward Onyeali’s four-goal feat, it took another 32 years before another player, also a centre forward, Rashidi Yekini equalled the feat. That was in the 21 July 1991 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match with Burkina Faso in Lagos.
Yekini scored four in the 7-1 victory by the Super Eagles. Now 31 years later, another centre forward, Victor Osimhen has equaled the feat, scoring four times in a single match.
AFCON
Prominent Libyan football official calls for tough sanction on those responsible for Super Eagles’ maltreatment
A prominent Libyan football official, Al-Siddiq Abu Hadima,has called for tough sanctions on the Libyan Football Federation officials responsible for the crisis that engulfed the suspended Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
Hadima, a former president of the Al-Dhahra Club, asked for the dismissal and prosecution of those responsible for the crisis.
In a publication in Libya’s outlet. Al-Wasat, Hadima recommended that if such people failed to submit a report that will exonerate them when the Sunday 20 October deadline issued by CAF lapses, “then they must be prosecuted and permanently dismissed.”
Al-Wasat got Hadima’s comments from his post on Facebook and remarked that “this negligence – if it happened – constitutes a betrayal of trust and a lack of awareness of the gravity of responsibility.”
It will be recalled that the Nigerian delegation to the botched match was held up for close to 20 hours at an abandoned Labraq Airport where their aircraft already on descent was dangerously diverted to.
The Nigerians were left without food and water for nearly 20 hours. CAF has already strongly condemned the actions of the Libyans.
As an investigation into the botched Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations match, the Libyan FA secretary, Nasser Al-Suwaie has raised queries on the integrity of the personnel of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
In a report published in the online version of Libyaalahrar.tv, Al-Suwaie remarked that there may be collusion from some parties within CAF, but the position of the Libyan Federation is strong.
He added that the Libyan Federation did not change the course of the plane’s landing to Al-Abraq Airport, and the reason for changing the plane’s landing to Al-Abraq was a decision by the Libyan state, and that the sovereignty of the Libyan state must be respected by everyone.
He however was silent on why the team was held hostage at the Al Abraq Airport and why the Libyan FA did not provide any logistic support to the Nigerian team that was held up at the airport for more than 16 hours without food and water.
Sources in Libya have confirmed that the Libyan Football Federation is under investigation over the botched Libya-Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations qualifier which failed to hold last Tuesday.
Nasser Al-Suwaie, Secretary-General of the Libyan FA, reportedly confirmed that the body has been queried by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Libyan FA has been asked to submit documents related to the cancellation of the match.
According to Libya Al-Ahrar, the FA has given them up till Sunday 20 October to submit the documents related to this file.
The Libyan FA secretary general, Al-Suwaie indicated that the body has assigned a specialized lawyer to provide evidence.
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