Nigerian Football
Nigerian businessman set to take over English club, Sheffield United
Daily Mail in the UK has reported that a Nigerian billionaire, Dozy Mmobuosi is about to buy Sheffield United in a deal worth £90million.
This will be the second a prominent Nigerian would be linked to takeover of a football club in England after a botched bid of Arsenal by richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote, some years back.
Shefield United are pushing for promotion back to the Premier League this season but were hit by a transfer embargo last month amid financial difficulties.
However, their problems are reportedly about to be eased by the takeover by Mmobuosi, a Nigerian tech entrepreneur whose company Tingo has been valued at around £7billion.
They say that the embargo, which prevents them buying a player for the next 18 months unless they win promotion, was imposed because the Blades failed to keep up payment instalments on signings.
This included payments to Liverpool for forward Rhian Brewster, who was signed in October 2020 for £23.5m but has failed to live up to expectations or his price tag.
The 22-year-old, part of the England team to win the Under-17 World Cup back in 2017, failed to break into Jurgen Klopp’s first-team plans and left for Bramall Lane in search of regular first-team football.
But he’s only managed 63 appearances for the Blades due to various hamstring problems and has registered a meagre five goals and one assist.
United are also reportedly trying to renegotiate the structure of payments to Swedish club Malmo for the Bosnian defender Anel Ahmedhodzic, who moved last summer.
The embargo was imposed as Prince Abdullah, the club’s present Saudi owner, was close to selling the South Yorkshire club.
The uncertainty over finances led to reports the Blades would be forced to sell star midfielder Sander Berge during the January transfer window to raise funds.
The Norwegian was linked with a £20m move to either Newcastle or Fulham but the fact United held on to him is regarded as a sign their financial issues will be resolved imminently.
Sheffield United are also in the possibly perilous position of losing 15 players for nothing this summer when their contracts expire.
Oliver Norwood, Wes Foderingham, Oli McBurnie and Billy Sharp are among the big names set to leave the club for nothing this summer.
The American Henry Mauriss was close to buying the club last year only for the takeover to collapse after he failed the EFL’s test.
However, The Times report the latest bid for the club is much more viable.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side are on course to win promotion back to the Premier League automatically after they were beaten by Nottingham Forest in last season’s play-off semi-finals.
Currently second in the Championship table, they trail leaders Burnley by five points but have a 12-point cushion to Middlesbrough in third with a game in hand.
The club last played in the top-flight in 2020-21 and there would need to be squad investment in order to stay in the Premier League should they win promotion.
The miserable run of Akwa United and Ikorodu City came to an end after six games in the Nigerian Premier League this season. Both teams were initially glued at the bottom of the league table.
They now got respite as Akwa United beat Kano Pillar by 2-0 while Ikorodu City even did what could be considered an upset, beating Bendel Insurance 3-0.
Remo Stars bounced back to the top of the log after a 3-0 defeat of Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars are yet to get their rhythm this season, playing a barren draw with Enyimba in Ibadan.
Kwara United who got their first full points of the season last week after a 1-0 defeat of Remo Stars could not consolidate as they were beaten 1-0 by Abia Warriors.
Heartland under Emmanuel Amuneke are gradually recovering as they got a valuable away draw against El-Kanemi Warriors.
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.
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 85th minute.
Sunday Results
- Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
- Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
- Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
- Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
- Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
- Rivers United 2-1 Akwa United
- Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
- Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United
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