Sports
Beyond Limits Intensify NPFL Return
The match lived up to expectations as both sides produced an intense contest, but it was the visitors who emerged victorious to maintain pressure in the race for promotion from Conference A.
Beyond Limits made a brighter start and took the lead after 13 minutes when Celestine Peter headed past the onrushing goalkeeper to give his side an early advantage.
Gateway responded with greater attacking intent and nearly levelled shortly afterwards, but goalkeeper Daniel Aiyenugba produced a sharp save in the 27th minute to deny the hosts from a powerful header following a corner kick.
The pressure eventually paid off for Gateway late in the first half as central defender Abiodun Ayeni reacted quickest to a loose ball from another corner to fire home the equaliser in the 38th minute, sending the teams into the break level at 1–1.
Beyond Limits regained control after the restart and restored their lead ten minutes into the second half. A well-worked move between Mark Akpabio and Yusuf Saka created space inside the box before Akpabio calmly sliced his finish into the top corner in the 55th minute.
Gateway pushed forward in search of another equaliser during the closing stages, but Beyond Limits held firm through five minutes of stoppage time to secure all three points.
The result keeps the 2024 NNL champions firmly in contention for promotion despite the uncertainty surrounding their eligibility for the top flight due to the presence of their parent club, Remo Stars, in the Nigeria Premier Football League.
However, with Remo Stars currently battling relegation, Beyond Limits could still become eligible for promotion should the situation change at the end of the season.
The academy side remain locked in a tight battle with Inter Lagos for the Conference A lead.
The Lagosians retained top spot with 24 points after a 5–0 victory over Abia Comets in Mobolaji Johnson Arena, staying one point ahead of Beyond Limits.
Beyond Limits will look to maintain their momentum and go top when they host Edel FC in Ikenne in their next league fixture, while Inter Lagos will be on a bye.
For Gateway, the defeat deepens their struggles in the second tier, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the conference and facing the prospect of a second consecutive relegation to the third-tier Nigeria Nationwide League One.
Their next test comes away to fellow strugglers Abia Comets in Aba.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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