Michael
Olaha scored on 24 minutes to settle a scrappy Nigeria Professional Football
League (NPFL) contest between Abia Warriors and Rivers United on Sunday.
The Warriors
won 1-0 in a game that promised so much but delivered so little from the
perspective of genuine quality and aesthetic football.
Heavy rains
before kick-off rendered large sections of the pitch at the Umuahia Township
Stadium almost unplayable.
As a result,
both sides, famed for attractive, possession-based football, struggled to bring
their optimum game to the table.
“We could
not do what we were supposed to do because the pitch was water-logged.
“As a
result, we had to alter our game plan by playing the ball into our opponents’
half and fighting them there,” Warriors head coach, Kennedy Boboye explained to
Rivers United Media moments after the game.
The hosts
should have doubled their lead in the final minute of added time after Rivers
United conceded a penalty wit captain, Austin Festus handling the ball in the
box.
Second half
substitute, Chisom Chikatara produced a tame shot which was saved by the United
goal keeper, Sunday Rotimi.
“I was over
confident. I thought that I had scored already. That’s why I missed,” Chikatara
said of his shocking effort from 12 yards.
United never
found their rhythm in the game and Eguma, like Boboye, blamed the conditions of
the pitch.
“We have lost
and there is nothing we can do about it.
“It’s
unfortunate because we prepared to win but we came here (Umuahia) and met a
stumbling g block which is the pitch,” he said.
The defeat
sees United fall to sixth on the standings with 28 points from 17 matches while
Abia Warriors rose two places and now occupy second place with 30 points from
16 matches.
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