Match Day 8 between Kwara United and Wikki Tourists, one of the fiercest rivalries in Nigeria Professional Football League reignited Sunday afternoon in Ilorin. The head coach of Giant š š Elephants, Ali Zubair is an indigene who would naturally wants to prove a point, couple with some home boys that would also want to establish a fact, while the home team and their mammoth supporters will not fold their hands and resign to fate; it is obvious both teams will be determined to emerge as winners from an encounter that has always been about more than football.
Unequivocally, the hosts are expected to benefit from the overwhelming number of home supporters inside the 18,000-capacity stadium. Wikki Tourists, by contrast, have taken just few fans and pocket of home supporters.
Just last month, Kabir Dogo, Sunshine gaffer was here to snatch a vital point at home, the same man travelled far North to meet his kinsman, without knocking, picked 3 points with impunity, why would coach Ali Zubair not be optimistic here too? Alas! He came, saw, unfortunately he couldn’t conquer.
Today, the Harmony Boys played with full determination to outwit their opponents right from the blast of the whistle, mounting pressure upon pressure which earned them 13 corner kicks, and several free kicks, yet the opener remained elusive, not until a defender stopped the ball with his hand in the box at the 23rd minute; simultaneously the center referee signifies a spot kick.
Penalty kick in soccer is among the highest pressure moments in an encounter. The fate of an entire game, even a career can hinge on a few fractions of a second between kicker and goalkeeper. When Alebiosu Segun courageously stepped out to take it, ominous silence is noticed, not because of anything, but mere self pity; Alebiosu Segun did not rush this time around, he took his time, cleared his eyes, do away with rheumy eyes and made good use of his eagles eyes by breaking the dreadlock. Good courage from Alebiosu Segun. I made bold to say Segun remains the hilt of a weapon. The combined efforts put an end to the villainous plots of the Giant Elephants. All other attempts to make it two were thwarted by the resilient defenders.
Obviously, tensions heightened inside Ilorin stadium in the last ten minutes of the encounter when Wikki Tourists made some incursions in Harmony Boys half but the duo of Akinmoladun Sunday and Andrew Ikefe made no mistake in keeping the Giant Elephants at arm’s length.
Ali’s boys really tried, they played well but performed fitfully, it could be a game plan in other not to conceed many goals, only that the result proved them wrong. They didn’t lose the game; they just ran out of time.
8 ATTEMPTS 3
3 ON TARGET 0
1 BLOCK SHOT 2
18 FOULS 26
13 CORNER 3
1 PENALTY 0
3 OFFSIDE 1
1 YELLOW 5
0 RED 0
Gā½AL:
23′ [P] Alebiosu Segun
SUB:
1. Emmanuel Sunday/Tijani Adamu 48′.
2. Samsudeen Hashimu/Daberechi Anyanwu 67′.
3. Odeyemi Ebenezer/Usman Mohammad 78′.
WIKKI TOURISTS
1. Idris Guda Mohammed/Michael Ukeme
2. Ahmed Jimoh/Saidu Abdullahi.
