Goals in
each half from Wasiu Jimoh and Ismaila Gata gave FC Ifeanyi Ubah (FCIU) a deserved
2-0 victory over Rivers United in the Nigeria Professional Football League
(NPFL) on Sunday.
Jimoh
finished off emphatically, right footed, into Sunday Rotimi’s bottom left hand
corner after Maduabuchi Okereke opened up the Rivers United backline with some
dare-devil piece of dribbling and impressive vision on 25 minutes.
Gata’s goal
in the 52nd minute was as a result of an error by Rivers United midfielder,
Yusuf Jaiyeola who lost the ball in midfield and the former Niger Tornadoes man
showed no mercy as he fired clinically past Rotimi.
United were
rocked just before kick off with the news that in form striker, Guy Kuemian had
failed a late fitness test and would miss the game.
The Ivoirian
who had scored four goals in his last two matches was replaced by Onyekachi
Okafor who clearly failed to fill the void left by the former Leones
Vegetarianos (Equatoguinean club) forward.
The ‘Pride
of Rivers’ however started the stronger of the two sides and should have taken
the lead inside the opening two minutes.
Chinonso
Okonkwo was fouled at the edge of the FCIU penalty area and Bernard Ovoke who
took the resultant free kick fired his effort narrowly wide.
That was the
closest United came to scoring in a first half of very little quality until Okereke
produced a moment of unadulterated magic in the 25th minute.
United
looked a pale shadow of the side that dismantled Kaduna United in the
Federation Cup in midweek and barely threatened the FCIU goalkeeper, Ikechuku
Ezenwa all game.
Gata almost
added a third goal late on for the hosts but watched in despair as his free
kick sailed narrowly over.
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