But for the character of Giwa FC of Jos, El Kanemi Warriors Football Club of Maiduguri came close to recording a famous victory at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos, when both sides met in a Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 8 encounter.
The hosts had gone ahead in as early as the 1st minute, through their captain Ibrahim Akide, when he ran through the Warriors’ defence to place the ball beyond an astounded George Michael, sending the home fans wild.
What Giwa thought was a victory in the making was soured 10 minutes later, when man-of-the match, Mustapha Ibrahim, was the first to react to Ezekiel Thompson’s floating corner kick. His effort caught Ojo Olurunleke by surprise, but it was all he needed to draw his side level.
From then on, it was a barrage of attacks on both sides, as the visitors gave their hosts as good as they got. But despite the efforts of the Warriors to curb their incursions, Giwa pushed forward and, on the 16th minute, Lawal Shittu’s free-kick floated past Michael but it banged against the right side bar of Warriors’ goal and slid out of play.
The second-half resumed with Giwa at the receiving end and the visitors would have gone ahead, but for the defence of Giwa, who easily muscled Mustapha off the ball. Time and again, Mustapha went close, but he was no match for Jimmy Ambrose, Rajim Nojeem and Akide.
Seeing as the marauding Mustapha could hardly hold his own against staunch defending, it fell to Chinedu Ohanachom to deliver the goods, working in tandem with Matthias Samuel. But his quality play was checked by Akide and company, especially through the wings.
On the 62nd minute, Otakho Aghoha found himself within shooting range and drove his shot goal-wards, but it was inches wide off the post of the vigilant Olorunleke.
Mustapha called again on the 65th, 71st and 74th minute, but it was Sunday David’s 71st scorcher, parried off by Michael that got the home fans baying for more.
Warriors also came close again to putting the game away on the 85th minute when Mustapha found Ohanachom on the left side of Giwa’s box, but the fair-skinned Ohanachom blasted his shot a few inches shy of goal.
Match Stats
Attendance 1500
Throw-ins 31
Corner Kicks 7
Fouls 26
Off sides 2
Yellow cards 2 (Matthias Samuel ’32 and Charles Henlong ’70)
Red cards Nil
Goals 2 (Ibrahim Akide ‘1 and Ibrahim Mustapha ’11)
Shots at goal 15 (10 on target, 5 off target)
Substitutes used
Giwa FC Moses Opitoke (24), ’58 for Abel Bobby (28) & Mubarak Sa’id (14), ’70 for Amos Gyang (11)
El Kanemi Warriors Daniel Japhet (9), ’69 for Yakubu Auta (7)
Giwa FC Squad
Olorunleke Ojo 12
Mbai Aminu 26
Shittu Lawal 29
Jimmy Ambrose 35
Raji Nojeem 6
Ibrahim Akide (c) 5
Amos Gyang 11
Abel Bobby 28
Sunday David 22
Henlong Charles 1
Omotayo Adebogun 17
Substitutes
Achimugu Friday 23
Mutiu Adegoke 8
Ehirim Favour 2
Olawale Isiaka 20
Saleh Mohammed 13
Mubarak Sa’id 14
Moses Opitoke 24
Coach Gbenga Ogunbote
El Kanemi Warriors’ Team
George Michael 1
Alhaji Mohammed 20
Friday Ifeanyi 5
Aghoha Otakho 2
Lucky Irumuya 6
Suleiman Dori 33
Yakubu Auta 7
Matthias Samuel 12
Ibrahim Mustapha 19
Ohanachom Chinedu 8
Thompson Ezekiel 26
Substitutes
Yekini Kazim 24
Dengo Ebinipere 35
Hele Hele Isaac 4
Hamidu Kaura 31
Zaki Sadi Umar 36
Daniel Japhet 9
Onyeudo Bishop 24
Coach Ladan Bosso
