A Dozen Goals and the Race for 2014/15 Season Gets Underway
After an indifferent start to the season that failed to produce goals in 180 minutes from the official opening day Double-header fixture in Port Harcourt, Michael Onuoha of Gabros popped up the first goal of the season in just 360 seconds. It opened the gates as other goals showed up in three other fixtures of the 2014/15 season began which recorded four scoreless draws, a score draw and four wins. A fixture was postponed indefinitely following armed bandits attack on Kano Pillars FC on their way to Owerri to play Heartland.
Victor Yakubu of Wikki Tourists scored the only brace of Match Day 1 netting on the 6th and 55th minutes in Wikki’s memorable return to the Premier League and perhaps prized 2- 0 win against fellow Premier League returnees, Shooting Stars Sports Club ( 3SC).
A five- goal’ thriller at the Jolly Nyame Stadium may have made up for the barren draws in some other centres. It all began on the 14th minute when Bobby Abel put the home team in front only for Pierre Coly to level scores 14 minutes after. Abdulmalik Mohammed will restore the lead from the penalty spot on 47th minute and Nura Ahmed doubled the lead 18 minutes after. When the fans were perhaps shuffling to leave in celebration, Samuel Agba sought to revive Rangers with a strike on 90th minute but that was a wee bit too late as FC Taraba held on to scoop all three points at the end.
Gabros’ Onuoha played himself into the record books when his side played their first Premier League game since 2005, hosting Warri Wolves that they last played against as Nigeria Ports Authority ( NPA) of Warri. The visitors threw in their years of continental and domestic campaign seeking to salvage a point until Onyekachi Nwaiwu killed off the fight with a last second strike that ended scores 2-0.
In Kano, El-Kanemi opened their Sani Abacha Stadium account thumping Nasarawa United 1-0 off Abraham Audu’s 43rd minute strike.
Strikers of Enyimba International and Giwa FC joined Sharks and Dolphins in firing blanks in front of their home fans. Dolphins opened the season Saturday afternoon at the Liberation Stadium with a scoreless draw against newly promoted Kwara United and on the heels of that fixture inside the same stadium, Sharks and Sunshine Stars also finished with no goals after 90 minutes.
Enyimba were hosts to Akwa United and not even the presence of their 23 record goals scoring pearl, Mfon Udoh could help them hit the back of the net. There were goal scoring opportunities on either sides of the field but wrong- footing Team P WD Gabros United 1 1 0 Wikki Tourists 1 1 0 Taraba 1 1 0 El Kanemi 1 1 0 Bayelsa Utd 1 0 1 Lobi Stars 1 0 1 Abia Warriors 1 0 1 Akwa Utd 1 0 1 Dolphins 1 0 1 Enyimba 1 0 1 Giwa 1 0 1 Kwara Utd 1 0 1 Sharks 1 0 1 Sunshine 1 0 1 Heartland 0 0 0 Kano Pillars 0 0 0 Rangers 1 0 0 Nasarawa Utd 1 0 0 3SC 1 0 0 W’ Wolves 1 0 0 by the strikers meant the goalkeepers came off looking good. It was however Nonso Okonkwo that Enyimba fans would not want to forgive for a miss in front of goal with the goalkeeper, Olufemi Kayode at his mercy.
In Jos, Giwa FC still failed to beat Abia Warriors after L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 GF GA GD 2 0 2 2 0 2 3 2 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 -1 0 1 -1 0 2 -2 0 2 -2 Pts 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 270 minutes of Premier League football. Abia Warriors sustained their last season’s clean sheet in Jos and would look forward to the return leg in the other half of the season to claim further bragging rights over Giwa that is like the Umuahia Warriors, also experiencing game in the top flight.
Another draw was recorded in Benin where Bayelsa United hosted Lobi Stars. Former ElKanemi forward, Obioma Arinze struck for on his debut for Lobi after 43 minutes and the visitors took the lead into the second half. Ghanaian import, Eric Freepong restored parity and saved the hosts the blushes when he nodded the level on 70th minutes. Bayelsa’s captain, Salomon Junior would be sent off on 90th minute when he harshly pushed down an opponent.