Kwara United Football Club returned to winning ways on Sunday when they defeated visiting FC IfeanyiUbah 1-0 in a Match Day 23 fixture in the 2017/2018 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
The match was played at the Kwara Stadium Complex in Ilorin.
FC IfeanyiUbah’s striker Pascal Seka stunned the home fans by scoring what should have been the opening goal with just three minutes into the game.
But after the centre referee had pointed to the centre for a goal, only for his second assistant to tell him something which led to the goal being declared offside.
A player’s long range effort had hit the woodwork and the rebound fell to Seka, who wasted no time to put the ball beyond Jonah Usman in goal for Kwara United.
The home side gathered momentum and were always dangerous on the attack, but their poor showing in front of goal won’t allow them to score.
Sunday Chinedu benefitted from a Mohammed Rabiu’s corner kick to head home the only goal of the match in the 14th minute to give the Harmony Boys the maximum points.
Kwara United would have doubled the lead in the 29th minute but Sodiq Abubakar cleared the ball on the line to give the Anambra Warriors hopes of equalising.
Three minutes later, Segun Alebiosu missed a sitter for Kwara United when he wasted an opportunity inside the goal area.
Kwara United were wasteful upfront for most of the game’s second stanza, while FC IfeanyiUbah players and technical crew were always unhappy with the assistant referees’ calls.
Speaking after the game, coach of FC IfeanyiUbah, Ladan Bosso, said his team would bounce back from the three consecutive losses they have had.
He said this was because it was not a new thing for teams to have a dip in form.
“I wasn’t comfortable with today’s officiating but the game has been won.
“If we have had 40 per cent and Kwara United with 60 percent, we would have beaten them today.
“But we will be a better team after the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup break,” Bosso said.
His Kwara United counterpart, Abubakar Bala, was full of praises for his players.
He said the game was a difficult one for them because they created a lot of chances in the first half which they failed to convert.
The former Niger Tornadoes FC coach said the support from the people of the state and the club’s management had really helped his work.
“Since I came, the welfare of the players has changed and this has really helped us too,” Bala.
The victory has now taken Kwara United out of the relegation zone, at least for now.
They moved from the 17th position to the 15th position, with 29 points from 24 games.(NAN)
