Nigerian Football
Enugu Rangers may emerge Nigeria’s league champions this Sunday
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier League is undoubtedly the most keenly contested in recent time as there is everything to play for till the last match day.
The battle for the title looks open and sweeping. So also is the struggle for the drop as two teams can still avoid the drop despite being deep in the relegation waters while others are within the drop zone.
For the title, it is a four-horse race equally separated along rivalry and geographical divides.
From the East are front-runners, Enugu Rangers and Enyimba who are also fierce rivals. From the West are the emerging Nigerian sensations, Remo Stars and traditional war lords, Shooting Stars.
Like Enugu Rangers and Enyimba, Remo Stars and Shooting Stars are regional rivals. Thus the four teams chase three continental tickets and the ultimate Nigerian title.
Arithmetically, the four have chances of picking the title, but the odds tilt more in Enugu Rangers’ favour. If they win their match this Sunday against medium ranked Bendel Insurance and take their haul to 67 points, the Nigerian league title could be theirs irrespective of results elsewhere.
That theory will be validated if any of the trio of Remo Stars, Enyimba and Shooting Stars should drop points in their respective duels with Sunshine Stars, Bayelsa United and Sporting Lagos.
But if Remo Stars beat Sunshine Stars and Enyimba also do the same against relegation prone Sporting Lagos, the title race will be thrown wide till last match day.
Then, all the three teams chasing Enugu Rangers will be at their comfort zones at home, while the leaders will be away to already relegated and no-hoppers, Gombe United whose entry visa to the second tier NNL has been granted.
Remo Stars, hardy known to drop points at home will face Katsina United. Shooting Stars who are having their best run in close to 30 years will be at their fortress against relegation candidates, Sporting Lagos.
Enyimba, though at home, may face stiffer oppositions as they will face Plateau United – a team that could upset the cart if they win their penultimate duel with Kano Pillars.
Key Matches
Enugu Rangers v. Bendel Insurance
Bayelsa United v. Shooting Stars
Sunshine Stars v. Remo Stars
Sporting Lagos v. Enyimba
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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