Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

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FATHER TIKO wrote:
My memory suggests that that Vasco win was 1973...Nwadioha opened the scoring, Dominic Nwobodo equalised via a penalty; Ariri scored the winner...
The reverse fixture ended 1-1; Nwadioha's cheeky back-heel flumoxed Okala for the equaliser...
Bendel Insurance (led by Victor Oduah) would claim the League title...

1973 was the peak of the derby rivalry: in 1973 Vasco was at par with Rangers...the 1973 Vasco challenge propelled Rangers surge to immortality the next year (1974)...

Rangers would sit atop Nigeria football from 1974-1977...
Yes, I was sitting behind Okala's goal at the old Enugu Sports Stadium during the return leg of that Rangers/Vasco match; I was back from attending Federal School of Science, Victoria Island.

From the opening whistle, it was clear that Rangers were intent on avenging the 2:1 defeat, intent on showing that it was an aberration, a mistake, a foolish error of the gods. In typical Rangers style, they converged on the Vasco penalty box in their slow, ponderous build-ups, and then turned the Vasco goalmouth into a shooting gallery. Everyone on the Rangers, from center forward Nwobodo to right back Ufele lined up to snipe at Umelo, and he was kept very busy, while Okala was basically on holiday. The pressure paid off and I can't remember if it was Matt Obianika or Nwobodo who crashed one into the roof of the net. The stadium erupted with relief: finally, the world was upright instead of upside down, and the gods were finally doing their jobs properly instead of behaving like Nigeria's useless military rulers.

But what was this? These useless Vasco people were refusing to cooperate with the gods o! Their worthless captain Obed Ariri had moved wide right and was taking over the game by the proverbial scruff of the neck! Good God, he undressed Harrison Mecha, and Ezeani went out to confront him! WTF! He undressed the undressable, hitherto undribblable Ezeani, the king of the ground game, with an insulting "What is your height!" Now he was scampering toward the goal and the great Okala was looking frightened, and ohsee was yelling himself hoarse with much glee, completely disregarding the kicks people behind him were dashing him.

Ariri crossed the ball, but I guess that even the Vasco forwards Dike, Christian Nwokocha and John Nwadioha were mesmerized by the fearlessness and panache of their captain and forgot to go out and lunge for the cross, so the ball bounced harmlessly out to touch.

Hm. But Ariri was not finished o! Ariri was not finished o! Once again, he took the ball out on the right touchline. In another mesmerizing dash, he left Mecha for dead. Who does that? Who burns Mecha twice in one half? Egwu dikwa, biko nu o o o o o! Ariri picked up speed. Ezeani was now afraid to commit. He back away. Chukwu looked troubled. Ariri sent a grasscutting grounder this time. I heard Okala shout in Igbo, "I've got it!" and he went out to gather the ground ball. But he don't got it. Nwadioha had it, and he stabbed it past the outstretched hands of the legendary Rangers goalkeeper (FADA TIKO, I don't remember a back heel). One-one.

There was dead silence in the packed stadium. Only ohsee was shouting happily. The useless ohsee was pissing people off just like he does on CE. And just like they do on CE, the people behind the goal were looking at ohsee like they wanted to murderate him, bring him back to life, and murderate him again. :D

Vasco fell back into their defensive shape, their great captain Ariri suddenly stopped being a terrorist, and fell back into his DM role, and the match ended 1:1. Vasco had made their point--they were just as good as Rangers. But they continued to get no love from Enugu fans.
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

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Enugu II wrote:It was 1973 and not 1972. Vasco would have won the league that year if not for ridiculous homegrown officiating when Vasco played in Lagos against Stores on the last day or so. Vasco had two goals taken away and Stores won by a goal. This sent Vasco down to third place behind Insurance and Rangers when Vasco was second for most of the league season and may have toppled Bendel if I recall correctly.
I think that was against ECN...

Nonetheless, Vasco in 1973 had some of the best ball-playing players anywhere in Nigeria - David Adiele, Pat Okonjo, Pat Ekeji, Ignatius Illechukwu, Felix Okey Emordi, Obed Ariri, James Udemba, Nnamdi Egbukichi, Charles Adimora, Innocent Nwankwo, Christian Nwokocha, John Nwadioha, etc. They announced their intent early in the league season by traveling to Ibadan and whipping IICC 3-0 (and it wasn't that close) in the second or third game of the season. Furthermore, Vasco's 0-0 draw with Rangers in the 1974 (or 1975) Super League at the National Stadium in Lagos was hands down one of the best football games I have ever been privileged to witness, with Vasco running rings around Rangers for long swathes of the game. Thereafter, Rangers proceeded to intensify its raid on Vasco's talent, snagging Ekeji, Illechukwu, Emordi, and Adimora (while Adiele and Okonjo headed off to Benin-City).

PS: Oshee, Nwadioha's back-heeled goal against Rangers (I actually think it was in the 2-1 victory) was photographically immortalized in the front-page of The Renaissance.
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

Post by aykwes8 »

Bitterest derby started in the 1970s ? You guys be kiddies for football kraa :lol: :lol:
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

Post by Chief Ogbunigwe »

aykwes8 wrote:Bitterest derby started in the 1970s ? You guys be kiddies for football kraa :lol: :lol:
we agree...but those rivalries have kwalified us for Werld Kap kraa..... :taunt: :taunt: :taunt: :taunt:

yes, I know...you guys were winning ANCs prior to newspaper era...
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

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Gotti wrote:
Enugu II wrote:It was 1973 and not 1972. Vasco would have won the league that year if not for ridiculous homegrown officiating when Vasco played in Lagos against Stores on the last day or so. Vasco had two goals taken away and Stores won by a goal. This sent Vasco down to third place behind Insurance and Rangers when Vasco was second for most of the league season and may have toppled Bendel if I recall correctly.
I think that was against ECN...

Nonetheless, Vasco in 1973 had some of the best ball-playing players anywhere in Nigeria - David Adiele, Pat Okonjo, Pat Ekeji, Ignatius Illechukwu, Felix Okey Emordi, Obed Ariri, James Udemba, Nnamdi Egbukichi, Charles Adimora, Innocent Nwankwo, Christian Nwokocha, John Nwadioha, etc. They announced their intent early in the league season by traveling to Ibadan and whipping IICC 3-0 (and it wasn't that close) in the second or third game of the season. Furthermore, Vasco's 0-0 draw with Rangers in the 1974 (or 1975) Super League at the National Stadium in Lagos was hands down one of the best football games I have ever been privileged to witness, with Vasco running rings around Rangers for long swathes of the game. Thereafter, Rangers proceeded to intensify its raid on Vasco's talent, snagging Ekeji, Illechukwu, Emordi, and Adimora (while Adiele and Okonjo headed off to Benin-City).

PS: Oshee, Nwadioha's back-heeled goal against Rangers (I actually think it was in the 2-1 victory) was photographically immortalized in the front-page of The Renaissance.


Gotti,

It was Stores and not ECN. ECN had not made the national league in 1973 and it was the first year that both Stores and Vasco made it along with WNDC (later to be IICC).

Yes, Vasco had a very good squad that year and I was really pissed at that result in Lagos as it enabled Rangers to pip Vasco for the second position behind Insurance. That was Vasco's second loss that season. Insurance finished unbeaten and Rangers lost just one game -- to Vasco. Those were memorable years of soccer.

Bia Gotti, so you remember that back heel? I cut it out from Renaissance and had kept it for years!!!
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

Post by ohsee »

Enugu II wrote:
Gotti wrote:
PS: Oshee, Nwadioha's back-heeled goal against Rangers (I actually think it was in the 2-1 victory) was photographically immortalized in the front-page of The Renaissance.



Bia Gotti, so you remember that back heel? I cut it out from Renaissance and had kept it for years!!!
Chiefs Gotti and Enugu II,

The goal in the second 1-1 game was not a back heel. It was a stab. Okala was trying to get the ball, and Nwadioha darted in and put the ball where Okala was not. I was there, sitting behind the goal. I saw it and do not need a still photo--a moment frozen in time that could easily misrepresent a sequence of events--to tell me what happened.

If it was in the first game, OK, I was not there, I heard about the game, and did not know who scored or how the goals were scored.

I ask for two things.
1) Can I see the photo?
2) How can you tell that the image you see in the lousy black and white photography of the Renaissance is a back heel and not something else? :idea:
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

Post by Enugu II »

ohsee wrote:
Enugu II wrote:
Gotti wrote:
PS: Oshee, Nwadioha's back-heeled goal against Rangers (I actually think it was in the 2-1 victory) was photographically immortalized in the front-page of The Renaissance.



Bia Gotti, so you remember that back heel? I cut it out from Renaissance and had kept it for years!!!
Chiefs Gotti and Enugu II,

The goal in the second 1-1 game was not a back heel. It was a stab. Okala was trying to get the ball, and Nwadioha darted in and put the ball where Okala was not. I was there, sitting behind the goal. I saw it and do not need a still photo--a moment frozen in time that could easily misrepresent a sequence of events--to tell me what happened.

If it was in the first game, OK, I was not there, I heard about the game, and did not know who scored or how the goals were scored.

I ask for two things.
1) Can I see the photo?
2) How can you tell that the image you see in the lousy black and white photography of the Renaissance is a back heel and not something else? :idea:
Ohsee,

I remember Nwadioha scoring a back heel against Rangers in the league game that year but I have to check whether it was in the BIG VICTORY :rotf: or it was in the draw that they dashed Rangers. I had kept the photo for years and it was gold!
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

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BTW, since Ohsee mentioned photos and posting here. Does anyone know how to post a scanned newspaper photo onto this site? I have several but not all will be good quality and some are Vasco v Rangers.
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

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Enugu II wrote:BTW, since Ohsee mentioned photos and posting here. Does anyone know how to post a scanned newspaper photo onto this site? I have several but not all will be good quality and some are Vasco v Rangers.
Prof., there are several "free image hosting" sites on the web. Google the one that works for you. Scan and save your pictures there. Then hyperlink the pictures to share on any platform/website.
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

Post by FATHER TIKO »

Gotti wrote:
Enugu II wrote:It was 1973 and not 1972. Vasco would have won the league that year if not for ridiculous homegrown officiating when Vasco played in Lagos against Stores on the last day or so. Vasco had two goals taken away and Stores won by a goal. This sent Vasco down to third place behind Insurance and Rangers when Vasco was second for most of the league season and may have toppled Bendel if I recall correctly.
I think that was against ECN...

Nonetheless, Vasco in 1973 had some of the best ball-playing players anywhere in Nigeria - David Adiele, Pat Okonjo, Pat Ekeji, Ignatius Illechukwu, Felix Okey Emordi, Obed Ariri, James Udemba, Nnamdi Egbukichi, Charles Adimora, Innocent Nwankwo, Christian Nwokocha, John Nwadioha, etc. They announced their intent early in the league season by traveling to Ibadan and whipping IICC 3-0 (and it wasn't that close) in the second or third game of the season. Furthermore, Vasco's 0-0 draw with Rangers in the 1974 (or 1975) Super League at the National Stadium in Lagos was hands down one of the best football games I have ever been privileged to witness, with Vasco running rings around Rangers for long swathes of the game. Thereafter, Rangers proceeded to intensify its raid on Vasco's talent, snagging Ekeji, Illechukwu, Emordi, and Adimora (while Adiele and Okonjo headed off to Benin-City).

PS: Oshee, Nwadioha's back-heeled goal against Rangers (I actually think it was in the 2-1 victory) was photographically immortalized in the front-page of The Renaissance.
Gotti!! I remember that photo!!

But you & Ohsee are playin' tricks with my memory now...

I saw the 2-1 game...can't recall a back-heel...But perhaps I should defer to you (because of your recollection of that Rennaissance photo... :thumb: )
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Re: Rangers v Vasco: The story of Nigeria's bitterest derby

Post by Enugu II »

Cellular wrote:
Enugu II wrote:BTW, since Ohsee mentioned photos and posting here. Does anyone know how to post a scanned newspaper photo onto this site? I have several but not all will be good quality and some are Vasco v Rangers.
Prof., there are several "free image hosting" sites on the web. Google the one that works for you. Scan and save your pictures there. Then hyperlink the pictures to share on any platform/website.
Okay. I will try that.
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