Matchday One of the Cool Hopefuls Cup preseason scouting tournament delivered an electrifying start, with a total of 15 goals scored across four matches. Standout performances came from Emmanuel Nweke of B. E Arena FC and Shile Lawal of FC Ebedei, both netting hat-tricks for their respective teams.
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The tournament, sponsored by Ebedei Sports College, commenced at the FC Ebedei Stadium in Apele-Sagamu. FC Ebedei JNRS captain Kenedy John made history, scoring the first and only goal of the opening match from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, securing a 1-0 victory over Elebuibon Boyz.
In a thrilling encounter, The Lord’s Favour FA and Wonderxchange FC played to an intense 2-2 draw. After a goalless first half, The Lord’s Favour FA took the lead in the 50th minute through Rafael Favour, with Emeka Eyeribe doubling their advantage four minutes later.
However, a 67th-minute own goal gave Wonderxchange FC a lifeline before Mighty Aderibigbe struck late to seal a dramatic equalizer.
B. E Arena FC dominated their clash against SDK FC, securing a commanding 5-0 victory. Emmanuel Nweke opened the scoring in the 10th minute and completed his hat-trick by the 26th minute. Nnadozie Kosisochukwu added two more goals in the second half to seal the emphatic win.
The final game of the day saw FC Ebedei claim a 4-1 victory over AAYK FC. Shile Lawal’s early brace put FC Ebedei in control, but Emmanuel Olawale capitalized on a defensive error to pull one back for AAYK FC.
In the second half, Fanen Tekula won a penalty, which Miracle Osekene calmly converted. Lawal completed his hat-trick in the dying minutes, sealing an impressive performance.
Matchday Two action resumes on Tuesday at FC Ebedei Stadium, with four highly anticipated fixtures set to take place, two in the morning and two in the evening.
