Sports
UNIPORT Loses To UNN As UNIMAID, BUK Draw In HIFL
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN Lions), at the weekend, were empathic in their demolition of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), beating the Rivers State-based team 4-2 in one of the games of the qualifying phase of the 2022 Higher Institutions Football League (HIFL).
Playing at home at the UNN Sports Complex, the Nsukka Lions scored the first three goals within 30 minutes through Onyedika Nwafor, Ikprama Somtochukwu and Odo Nonso in the sixth, 12th and 28th minutes respectively. The Sharks managed to score a goal in the 33rd minute to reduce the deficit before the break.
In the 64th minute of the second half, Joshua Okai scored the second goal for the Sharks to raise the hope of securing a possible draw. But the Lions had other ideas.
Ezea Luke of the Lions drew the dagger into the hearts of the fans of Sharks when he scored on the dot of the 90th minute to ensure the first leg victory for UNN.
“Leading by three goals in the first half, my boys thought they could relax, but they found that football is not so, as our opponents tried to come back.
“However, realising the need to be consistent, my team scored the fourth goal to ensure that we won. We will prepare better for the second leg so we can win in Port Harcourt, the same way we did against UNIBEN Royals last year,” Coach Ike said.
In other games, LASU Blazers proved pundits wrong by winning their away game with the AAUA Luminaries by 2-0. Yahaya Subair scored the first goal for the Blazers in the 44th minute, while Toyin Odufejo put a stop to the Luminaries quest for an equaliser in the 89th with a sublime finish.
HiFL reigning champion, UNIMAID Desert Warriors, were held to a 1-1 draw by BUK Stallions from Bayero University, Kano, while 2021 fourth place team, FUTMINNA Transformers, were held 2-2 at home by KSU Steelers from Kogi State University.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.