Edidiong Stephen
Nigeria Professional Football League enters its Match Day Twenty with ten tasty fixtures scheduled across various centres this Sunday.
This weekend’s matches are the reverse fixtures of Match Day Nineteen which were played last Sunday.
At the New Jos Stadium, 2nd-placed Plateau United welcome 5th-placed Dakkada FC for a third ever meeting between the two sides with the Jos-based side riding on a streak of 1 win and 1 draw in their previous two outings against their visitors.
Plateau United and Akwa Starlets (now Dakkada FC) first met each other in the Round of 16 of the Aiteo Cup on September 13, 2017, in Uyo, before a goalless draw at Dakkada last Sunday.
Dakkada arrive this fixture on the back of a 2-2 draw away to neighbours Akwa United in which they were leading 2-1 with 1 minute left on the clock before Ndifreke Effiong’s 89th minute pinpoint header restored parity.
Against Akwa United on Wednesday, Dakkada’s Head Coach, Caleb Esu, made two changes to the start list which faced Plateau United last Sunday with the inclusions of Francis Odinaka and Lateef Babalola in the places of Harrison Ibukun and Isaac George but the gaffer will welcome back defender Harrison Ibukun into the squad after he sat out Wednesday’s action due to the accumulation of five yellow cards otherwise not much of a changed side is expected to make the trip to Jos.
It would be interesting to see how Esu, who has often deployed a Turkish 4-4-2 formation, lines up in Jos against an attacking Plateau United side with 27 goals spread across 10 squad members this campaign.
While Plateau United are expected to be buoyed by their impressive away draw at Dakkada last Sunday they have also got to be reminded that Dakkada are not just unbeaten in their last five matches (1 win, 4 draws) but are also NPFL’s best away team with 11 points in 10 matches to show for their travels. Only MFM have prevented the Uyo-based side from taking at least a point in an away fixture this term.
Plateau United’s Head Coach Abdul Maikaba, who spent two years in Uyo with Akwa United, deployed a 4-2-4 formation last Sunday with Isah Ndala and Oche Ochowechi providing the midfield support base for the front quadruplet of Uche Onwuoansanya, Ibrahim Mustapha, Bernard Ovoke and Tosin Omoyele while Nenrot Silas and Abba Umar started from the bench.
With Plateau United having scored just once in the last three outings, one wonders whether Maikaba will consider drafting Abba Umar, who has 4 goals, and Nenrot Silas, who has 3, straight into Sunday’s start list.
There is surely going to be a lot of spark and excitement as this fixture features NPFL’s top scorers (Plateau United – 27 goals) against its joint-third top scorers (Dakkada FC – 22 goals).
Kick-off in Jos is at four o’clock in the afternoon while live text updates and video highlights are available on Dakkada’s social media handles.
Form Guide
PLATEAU UNITED
Dakkada 0-0 Plateau United
Plateau United 1-0 Rivers United
DAKKADA FC
Akwa United 2-2 Dakkada
Dakkada 0-0 Plateau United
Next Fixtures
PLATEAU UNITED
Lobi Stars Vs Plateau United
Plateau United Vs Jigawa GS
DAKKADA FC
Dakkada Vs Kwara United
Kano Pillars Vs Dakkada
Top Scorers (PLATEAU UNITED)
Ibrahim Mustapha – 8
Uche Onwuoansanaya – 5
Abba Umar – 4
Nenrot Silas – 3
Oche Ochowechi – 1
Umar Abubakar – 1
Michael Ibeh – 1
Amos Gyang – 1
Tosin Omoyele – 1
Bernard Ovoke – 1
Top Scorers (DAKKADA INT’L FC)
Femi Ajayi – 5
Moses Effiong – 5
Isaac George – 4
Eso Archibong – 2
Spencer Bassey – 2
Utibe Arit (now with Lobi Stars)– 2
Osimaga Duke – 1
