El Kanemi deny Giwa

El Kanemi Warriors Football Club of Maiduguri came close to recording a famous victory at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos, when they played Giwa FC in a Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 8 encounter on Wednesday.

The hosts had gone ahead in as early as the 1st minute, through their captain Ibrahim Akide, when he ran through the Warriors’ defence to place the ball beyond an astounded George Michael, sending the home fans wild.

What Giwa thought was a victory in the making was soured 10 minutes later, when man-of-the match, Mustapha Ibrahim, was the first to react to Ezekiel Thompson’s floating corner kick. His effort caught Ojo Olurunleke by surprise, but it was all he needed to draw his side level.

From then on, it was a barrage of attacks on both sides, as the visitors pressurised put their hosts. But despite the efforts of the Warriors to curb their incursions, Giwa pushed forward and, on the 16th minute, Lawal Shittu’s free-kick floated past Michael but it banged against the right side bar of Warriors’ goal and slid out of play.

The second-half resumed with Giwa at the receiving end and the visitors would have gone ahead, but for the defence of Giwa, who easily muscled Mustapha off the ball.  Time and again, Mustapha went close, but he was no match for Jimmy Ambrose, Rajim Nojeem and Akide.

Seeing as the marauding, Mustapha could hardly hold his own against staunch defending, it fell to Chinedu Ohanachom to deliver the goods, working in tandem with Matthias Samuel. But his quality play was checked by Akide and company, especially through the wings.

On the 62nd minute, Otakho Aghoha found himself within shooting range but it was inches wide off the post of the vigilant Olorunleke.

Mustapha called again on the 65th, 71st and 74th minute, but it was Sunday David’s 71st scorcher, parried off by Michael that got the home fans baying for more.

Warriors also came close again to putting the game away on the 85th minute when Mustapha found Ohanachom on the left side of Giwa’s box, but the fair-skinned Ohanachom blasted his shot a few inches shy of goal.