goals hand Lobi Stars 2-0 Victory Against Doma United In NPFL23 MD 9 Clash

Lobi Stars continued their incredible home record following a 2-0 defeat of NPFL newcomers, Doma United at the new Jos Stadium, as a goal each from Joseph Atule and Umar Abba ensured the home team’s grip at the top of Group B table, going into the break.

The Makurdi-based side returned to winning ways once again after a temporary setback on matchday 8 against Wikki Tourists in Bauchi.

Interestingly, the host started the clash with great intent but it took the “Shoe get Size” boys less than ten minutes into the first half to seal the important points against the Savannah Tigers who came with a lot of intimidation.

In the 6th minute, Lobi Stars midfielder, Francis Odinaka maneuvered his way into the 18-yard box, skipping past the opponent’s defense, however, he was stripped from behind by Doma United’s Saifullahi Yusuf, leaving the center referee with an easy decision to point to the penalty spot.

Lobi Star’s winger, Atule, stepped up on the big occasion to give his side the lead in the 7th minute, sending goalkeeper Kingdom Osayi the wrong way to score his 4th goal of the season.

Two minutes after the first goal, former Kastina United attacking midfielder, Umar Abba, having received a clever pass from Terdoo Shimagande, doubled the lead for the host with a fierce shot that was well taken 26 yards away from goal, leaving goalkeeper Osayi with no attempt, increasing his tally for the season to 4.

The visitors tried to regroup to fix things right after going down in quick succession, but they failed to create any meaningful chance as the Lobi Stars duo of Sunday Chinedu and Orji Kalu ensured the trio of Samuel Enefiok, Usman Musa, and Emmanuel Ogwuche had no threat on Goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel as the first 45 minutes ended 2-0.

Upon resumption from the interval, Coach Onigbinde Akinade of Doma United made some tactical changes. He replaced Emmanuel Ogwuche with Bidemi Owoku in 45 minutes and Samuel Enefiok with Chibuke Charles in the 48th minute, but it was efforts in futility as the solidity of Lobi Stars’ back four gave no room for the visitors to exploit.

The host team, on the other hand had some opportunities to score more goals after the interval but Atule and Shimgande spurned many chances that would have seen the Makurdi-based side increase their goal difference, going into the second half of the season.

Overall, Lobi Stars displayed quality football to secure the maximum points at the final whistle of regulation time.

With the result, Lobi Stars have secured 19 points to end the first round on position 1, after 9 matches played.

Second-placed Sunshine Stars have 15 points from 9 matches. Rivers United is in position 4 in the group with 13 points, with three outstanding games due to their Continental engagements.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the match, Lobi Stars head Coach, Muhammed Baba Ganaru thanked God for the victory and appreciated the good character of players which made the result possible.

“We thank God for the match, a very good result...as usual, our boys were very disciplined, showing good character working in the defense and attack which gave birth to the result “, he said.

On his part, the Technical Adviser of Doma United, Onigbinde Akinade said in football, when you make unnecessary mistakes, you pay for it.

“First, we conceded too early, the penalty kick was a true one, and then the second goal which came after 2 minutes from the first and so we ended up with the result”, says Doma United gaffer. With this game, Lobi Stars will join the rest of the NPFL team to embark on an election break and will resume back for the remainder of the matches on the 25th of March, 2023, and they will be hosted by the Savannah Tigers, Doma United, in Gombe State.

Nigeria’s Anuoluwa Opeyori retains Africa’s badminton Championship crown

Nigeria’s number 1 badminton player, Anuoluwa Opeyori has won his third African title in a space of five years to assert himself as Africa’s undisputable champion.

His latest victory came in South Africa at the weekend as he beat Mauritius Julien Paul 18-21, 2113, 21-18 to win the gold medal of the Men’s singles of the All Africa Senior Championships.

It was not an easy feat as the Nigerian delegation was psychologically drained even before the championship owing to nonissuance of travel visa to four of the ten-man team.

With his latest win, Opeyori has added to earlier titles won in Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 2019 and Kampala, Uganda in 2022.

He had also won the Men’s Singles title at the African Games in Morocco in 2019 to make it four titles in five years!

His spirit was initially dampened following the inability of four of his teammates to obtain entry visa into South Africa for the competition.

The affected players were:

Aliyu Alhaji Shehu, Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan, Sofiyat Arinola Obanishola and Ramatu Yakubu.

That reduced the Nigerian field and narrowed the possibility of the country making a good impact.

It is worthy of note that this is the second time in recent years that a Nigerian contingent to the All Africa Senior Championships will have serious and demoralizing problems regarding their visas. The first was when the Team was traveling to Egypt for the All Africa Senior championships in 2020.

Anuoluwapo Opeyori in the 2022 edition arrived Uganda as the sole participant from Nigeria and went all the way up to clinch the Men’s Singles gold medal, thereby becoming King of African badminton for the second time after his feat in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

His form was devastating to all that came his way. He easily dispatched his opponents with ruthless efficiency. They fell like packs of cards blown by the huricane.

Opeyori began the individual event easily outstroking Trinity Chimpumho of Zimbabwe 21-8, 219. Next to succumb to his firepower was homeboy, Ruan Snyman who also fell in two straight sets of 21-11 and 21-16 at the Round of 16.

Only Zambia’s Kalombo Mulenga showed a little resistance. But ‘Huricane Opeyori’ blew him away after the Zambian narrowly took the first set at 19-21.

Opeyori with fury of thunder smashed out the Zambian 21-10 in the next set and 21-19 in the third set of the quarter-final duel to win the match.

With the games getting tougher as the championship tie beckoned, Opeyori won the semi-finals against another homeboy, Robert Summers, 21-19 and 21-15 before his title match with the Mauritian.

It’s a new begining, remarked the Badminton Federation of Nigeria president, Francis Orbih who admitted that the sport in Nigeria suffered a setback following an initial internal wrangling that was only resolved last year.