Abia Warriors emerged champions of the 2023 Tico/Select Pre-season Tournament after a pulsating encounter that kept spectators on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
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It was a game that two national team players that represented Nigeria at the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, Daniel Daga for FC One Rocket and Augustine Njoku for Abia Warriors proved their mettle —as Daga was bossing the midfield for his team, Njoku as a right-back was cutting off every attack of their opponents.
Buoyed by the chants of their supporters and the presence of the club owner, the home side took the game to the Warriors, but the Warriors were resolute.
However, against the run of play, Sunday Megwo put the Warriors in front after 18 minutes of play.
Ten minutes later, Daga’s looping shot from 35 yards brushed off the crossbar to the relief of Abia Warriors’ goalkeeper Sharp Uzoigwe. It was the first of many shots to come from the Nigeria Under-20 International.
From a free-kick, Daga forced a save from Sharp in the 33rd minute, and six minutes later, Sharp was on hand to stop Daga’s long-range effort. After forty-one minutes, Daga tried his luck again from 30 yards, this time it narrowly missed the target.
If the first half was entertaining, the second half was a delight to watch.
In the 48th minute, Warriors’ captain and center-back Goodluck Ozioma was stretched off after sustaining a knee injury. He was replaced by Jimoh who himself just recovered from an injury.
Nonso and Sampson joined the fray in the 70th minute in a double substitution, and after four minutes coming on, the latter doubled the lead for the Warriors.
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From a goal-mouth scramble, Paul Aver reduced the deficit for the home side in the 89th minute; the pressure was sustained by the Uyo-based side, and three minutes later, they were level— Daniel Daga with the goal.
The referee blew the final whistle two minutes later and it was straight to penalties to determine the winner.
After eleven rounds of penalty kicks, FC One Rockets scored seven; Abia Warriors scored eight to emerge champions of the 2023 Tico/Select Pre-season Tournament.
