Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin yesterday played a barren drew with Lobi stars of Makurdi in the week 17 match of ongoing abridge league.
The match which was played at the Kwara State Stadium Complex witnesses lots of expectations from the host having lost their last three matches.
Bala Abubakar boys started the match impressively as Fortunate Omoniwari hit the post for host in what should have been the first goal of the contest.
The host controlled almost the possession of the game with futile efforts to converts it to a goal.
At 15 minutes of the match, there was a penalty appeal from the as the ball hit the hand of a Lobi player, but the central referee looks other way.
At the tense of the half time, Sikiru Alimi cuts Kwara united goalkeeper twice before finding the top corner of the net, but was ruled out for off sides.
Shortly after the resume of the second half, a red card was issued to Lobi stars Bashir Olawale for a dangerous tackle on Ifeanyi Okoye.
All attempts by Kwara united to put the ball into the net prove abortive despite their stanling dominance towards the end of the match.
Speaking after the match, Lobi stars coach, Solomon Ogbale salute the doggedness of his boys.
“I think this is not a bad result. We played against one of the best”, he said.
However, FC Ifeanyi Ubah have moved up to the second spot in Group B with their 2-1 win over Delta Force.
Uche Ihuarulam’s goal from the spot in the 8th minute and Chidi Madu’s effort late in the second half gave the Anambra Warriors victory.
In Kano, Pillars got a lone goal victory over Plateau United to stay in contention for one of the playoff spots in their NPFL group, Alassan Ibrahim got the only goal for the former champions.
In Okigwe, Yobe Stars’ reported plans of causing an upset against Heartland wasn’t realised. The Naze Millionaires finished 2-0 winners.
TEAM LISTS
Kwara United
18 Abdul Lateef Ishola
17 Nwana Asuquo
30 Lookman Binuyo
27 Afeez Nosi
5 Akinmoladun Sunday
21 Andrew Ikefe
7 Shamsudeen Hashimu (31 Adeleye Samson – 76min)
15 Sunday Emmanuel
22 Fortune Omoniwari
6 Ifeanyi Okoye (40 Hamzat Mohammed – 85min)
19 Daberechi Anyanwu (24 Tijani Adamu – 48min)
Sub:
16 Jonah Usman
38 Mutiu Oladejo
40 Hamzat Muhammad
24 Tijani Adamu
31 Samson Adeleye
20 Chinedu Nwaze
39 Alamoyo AbdulRazak
Lobi Stars
21. Egbube Ospino
24. John Lazarus,
3. Ebube Duru
6. Alex Aghaowa
18. Kwambe Solomon
23. Bashiru Olawale
7. Yahaya None (1 Micheal Stephen – 62min)
14. Samad Kadir (35 Ugochukwu Anumunu 76min)
9. Sikiru Alimi
19. Samuel Mathias
37. Ojudigha Ezekiel
Reserves:
28. Tembe Charles
17. Bunde Moses
35. Ugochukwu Anumunu
15. Nzekwesia Andrew
1. Michael Stephen
31. Sibi Gwar
18. Ogunye Austine
