Enugu Rangers lose to Remo Stars, but manager delivers iconic ‘Siuu’ celebration
Enugu Rangers suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Remo Stars in a Nigeria Professional Football League game on Sunday, but the Oriental side delivered something special when they opened the scoring.
It took just eight minutes for the visitors to break the deadlock after the goalkeeper made a mess of Kazeem Ogunleye’s long-range effort. Ogunleye fired a shot from outside the area, and it went straight into the net.
Ogunleye and his teammate then celebrated in style, replicating Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘Siuu’ celebration. They ran towards the corner flag, with manager Fidelis Ilechukwu joining them in the celebration.
The players beckoned to their manager to join in as they all jumped, flapping their hands behind them as they landed.
However, their joy was short-lived. Oluwaseun Samson restored parity to draw his side level before the break.
Just eight minutes into the second half, Sikiru Alimi struck what eventually turned out to be the winner as Remo Stars triumphed 2-1.
What does the ‘Siuu’ celebration mean?
The ‘Siuu’ celebration is a popular goal celebration performed by Portuguese professional footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. It involves Ronaldo jumping and flapping his arms behind him as he lands. Ronaldo has said that the celebration is a way of expressing his happiness and gratitude to his fans.
Other iconic football celebrations
Over the years, many footballers have come up with various ways to celebrate during matches. Here are some other iconic football celebrations:
- Jurgen Klinsmann’s dive celebration: Klinsmann would famously poke fun at his depiction as a diver in the press by performing a dive after scoring.
- Paul Pogba’s dance routines: Pogba has a number of different dance routines that he performs after scoring.
- Lionel Messi’s finger-pointing celebration: Messi has made the finger-pointing celebration his signature celebration. He often points to the sky or to the fans after scoring.
- Neymar’s rainbow flick and backheel celebration: Neymar is known for his flashy skills and his elaborate celebrations. One of his most famous celebrations is the rainbow flick and backheel, where he flicks the ball over his opponent’s head and then backheels it into the goal.
- Kylian Mbappé’s mask celebration: Mbappé has a number of different celebrations, but one of his most popular is the mask celebration. He puts on a mask after scoring to represent his superhero persona.
Why Jay Jay Okocha prefers EPL to NPFL
Super Eagles legend and former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha has claimed that he would rather watch the English Premier League than the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Okocha previously played in both leagues, but he prefers to watch the Premier League ahead of the NPFL due to the attractiveness and packaging of the English topflight league.
The Nigerian football legend believes that the organisers and the boards need to do a lot more in order to improve the NPFL and meet the standard of the European leagues.
How to improve the NPFL
There are a number of things that can be done to improve the NPFL.
One is to invest more in the league. This would allow for better infrastructure, better salaries for players and staff, and better marketing.
Another is to improve the quality of officiating. This would help to ensure that games are fair and that the best teams win.
Finally, the league needs to be better marketed and promoted. This would help to attract more fans and sponsors.
By improving the NPFL, it can become one of the best leagues in Africa and attract the world’s best players.
Additional thoughts
In addition to the above, there are other things that can be done to improve the NPFL. For example, the league could be made more competitive by reducing the number of teams. This would allow the best teams to focus on winning the league and competing in Africa, rather than having to worry about relegation.
The NPFL could also learn from the success of other leagues around the world. For example, the league could introduce new technologies, such as video assistant referees (VAR), to help improve the quality of officiating.
The NPFL could also work to improve the fan experience. This could be done by making stadiums more comfortable and accessible, and by providing more affordable tickets.
By taking these steps, the NPFL can become a more attractive and competitive league, both for fans and players alike.
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