My Naija News - The Debacle in Nigerian Football from Akwa 13 to Zamfara 9

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The Debacle in Nigerian Football from Akwa 13 to Zamfara 9

Written by Adeleke Afolayan

Thursday, 18 June 2009

The Nigerian football league has over the years seen growth in competition evident in the exploits of Enyimba and more recently Heartland, Kano Pillars and Bayelsa United in the continental competitions as well as fellowship among corporate sponsors and most importantly football loving Nigerians though the latter can still be much bigger and better.

The recently concluded league season in the country saw among others, the emergence of Bayelsa United as Premier League champions for the first time in the club's history, improving on its 3rd place finish from last season.

That consistency is also seen in the 2nd place finish of Heartland for a second consecutive season, in Enyimba's rise from mid-table obscurity to 3rd place and the promotion back to the Premier League for Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Ranchers Bees of Kaduna, Kwara United and Dolphins of Port Harcourt which went on a 10-match unbeaten run during its campaign last season.

But all these, good credit to Nigerian league football, is being made to amount to nothing owing to the farce of Zamfara United's 9-0 final day Premier League win over Kaduna United; a result that ensured the Premier League status of the Gusau club at the expense of Akwa United that lost to already relegated JUTH FC of Jos.

Before the last weekend of the Premier League, Akwa United was three points clear of the relegation zone at 48 points and +1 goal difference and needed to avoid defeat to completely avoid relegation or avoid losing disastrously and allow clubs below it to escape relegation instead.

As it stood, Zamfara United needed at least eight clear goals and other results to go its way to survive relegation in its match at home to Kaduna United which at the start of the season led the table and following a mid season slump in form, was starting to pick form.

Zamfara United had also lost its last four league matches on the trot before that fateful weekend and had never scored more than three goals in a league match with its biggest victory; ironically 3-0 over Akwa United, coming back in 2005.

So it is beyond reasonable doubt how the Gusau club; based in a State where the Sharia Law famously became prevalent, would find its scoring boots just when needed and score the required number of goals, nine of them, to escape relegation.

Yes coincidences occur in life and this could just be taken as one of those scenarios but could it also be coincidence that Kaduna United's first choice goalkeeper went off injured in the opening quarter of the match?

How about the second choice keeper who then decided to get himself sent off after retaliating a foul on him? Both "coincidences" left the visitors turning an outfield player to a goalkeeper for the rest of the match, thus came the rain of goals.

Maybe, just maybe, the result is legitimate and comes due to the reality of relegation staring hard in the faces of the Zamfara players, but the question of where in Nigerian league football such high margin win came up and the irony is, two seasons ago Akwa United gained promotion to the Premier League courtesy of a 13-0 whitewash of Calabar Rovers.

In the time of Akwa 13 as Akwa United became affectionately known, the Nigerian football authorities spent millions into an inquiry to ascertain those behind the alleged match-fixing, yes it remains alleged as nothing came from the inquiry.

It then is ironic that Akwa United; served in its own bitter meal, would lodge an appeal with the Nigeria Premier League board protesting the Zamfara 9 that relegated it from the Premier League when it is almost obvious that the real truth about what happened will not surface, at least at this time when the truth is needed.

But the precedence this would set for the league aiming to be the best in Africa (currently third best) is one that must be weeded out before it becomes too rampant to curtail.

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Comments (2)

	1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 03-07-2009 15:26 - Guest
	http://www.lflblog.com Nigeria finally reached the World Cup for the first time in Football World Cup 1994. They were managed by Clemens Westerhof who is commonly considered to be the best coach to have ever lead Nigeria.

	2. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 28-09-2009 15:35 - Guest
	What a laugh.... I could not stop laughing..... My God!!! Is their any aspect of our life in Nigeria that is free from this disease called CORRUPTION? Well written.

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