By GODWIN WAMBEBE, Media Officer, Kogi United FC
The week 8 encounter of the Nigeria National League between Niger Tornadoes football club of Minna and Kogi United FC of Lokoja played at the Alhaji Bako Kontagora Stadium ended 2-0 in favour of the Minna based outfit.
Both sides came into the encounter in dire need of the vital 3 points at stake to improve their quest for a playoff spot in group A2 of Nigeria National League Northern Conference. But it was the home side who started brightly with occasional daring flashes at the visitor’s goal. The visitors rose to the occasion with the duo of Moses Kayode and the hard-tackling Musa Stephen doing everything possible to keep them at bay.
The visitors’ attack was a bit shaky in the first opening minutes of the game as the home side professionally pushed them back and forced them into defending their half. The visitors quickly comported themselves and made some daring attempt at their hosts’ goal but all effort to break the deadlock proved abortive.
It was the home side who made the difference on the stroke of half time when Oche Josiah met Peter Momoh’s corner kick to put the home team in front after the centre referee refused to end the game on the 45 minutes mark even after the expiration of the one minute extra time added. He allowed play to continue which resulted in the opening goal 4 minutes ahead of the normal regulation time.
The home side continued from where they left off in the second half with some breathtaking display trying to increase their tally but the defensive duo of Stephen Musa with midfield barrier created by Haruna Isah kept them out.
The ikon Allah iboys increased their tally in the 80 minutes when the referee again turned a blind eye to a handball by A tornadoes player in the visitors 18-yard box and allowed Lukman Mohammed to score from a goalmouth scramble to make it 2-0 for his side.
Scores remained at 2-0 until the end of the encounter but not without some resentment by the visitors and some spectators who questioned some of the decisions of the centre referee.
A furious Coach Tunde Abdulrahaman said at a time when everyone is praying and working assiduously to improve the second-tier league, some referees are frustrating every of these good intention. He however heaps praises on his boys saying they played their heart’s out with the aim of salvaging something but the referee’s questionable decisions frustrated them.
“The boys played well and according to instruction but the officiating was purely against us and it really tells on their performance. Officiating has remained the greatest bane of the league and if it must improve, there should be a drastic shift away from all these negative tendencies killing the league”
Kogi United will wrap the first round of the season up with a home clash against Road Safety FC of Abuja in Lokoja next weekend
Scorers
⚽ Oche Josiah (45)
⚽ Lukman Mohammed (80)
