Nigerian Football
Nigeria Premier League draw holds on August 17 ahead of August 26 kick-off date
Rising from a consultative meeting with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) board in Abuja, the Football Club Owners Association of Nigeria has agreed to kickstart the 2023/24 season on August 26 as recommended by the NPFL body.
In a unanimous decision reached by all 20 clubs and presented to the NPFL led by its chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, the clubs also jettisoned the much talked about abridged league while opting for a full season of 38 straight matches to determine the league champion and Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively.
Speaking at the end of the meeting, Hon Elegbeleye thanked the clubs led by Chief Okey Kpalukwu for the co-operation the NPFL board has enjoyed under his leadership, while promising to always reciprocate the kind gesture at every given opportunity.
“I want to thank the entire club owners under the leadership of Chief Okey Kpalukwu for the support and cooperation given us thus far, we’ve no doubt that together we will have a league that Nigerians will be proud of”, stated Hon Elegbeleye who doubles as 2nd Vice President Nigeria Football Federation.
In his remarks, Chief Kpalukwu assured the NPFL leadership of the Club Owners support because both parties are partners in progress.
“What we as Club Owners will guarantee the NPFL board is our cooperation as long as we are seen to be important partners and major stakeholders in the NPFL.
“I look forward to a very successful 2023/24 NPFL season”, admonished the Rivers United General Manager.
Meanwhile, the draw for the 2023/24 league season will be conducted during the NPFL board’s Annual General Meeting billed to hold on August 17 in Abuja which will be live on television.
In another development, the Club Owners have set up various committees for the smooth running of the body.
General Secretary Godwin Enakhena is to head the constitution drafting adhoc committee with Rangers of Enugu Administrative Secretary Ferdinand Ogwuarua as secretary and the chairman of Niger Tornadoes of Minna Engineer Ibrahim Dada as member.
Akwa United Chairman, Elder Paul Bassey is chairman Publicity Committee, Godwin Enakhena is secretary while Kumbi Titiloye of Kwara United is member. Other committees are Financial with Alhaji Suleiman Umar of Doma United of Gombe as chairman, he’s to be assisted by Plateau United chairman, Honourable Habila Mutla as secretary and Sunshine Stars of Akure chairman Honorable Tunde Ogunja is member.
The Welfare committee has Gombe United General Manager Alhaji Abubakar Abubakar as chairman to be assisted by Heartland of Owerri General Manager Promise Nwachukwu as Secretary while the Secretary of Bendel Insurance of Benin City Charles Ihimekpen is a member.
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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