Photo Credit: 3sc
Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan were on Wednesday, held to a 1-1 draw by Enyimba FC of Aba in a matchday 26 fixture, played at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba.The 10-point gap established by Remo Stars at the top of the Nigeria Premier Professional League has been narrowed to nine following Remo Stars’ lone goal loss to Nasarawa .
Fresh fron a 2-2 home draw against Lobi Stars last Sunday, the Oluyole Warriors put up a brave performance to secure a valuable point against the People’s Elephants in front of their home fans.
The Ibadan soccer lords were all over the hosts right from the start, with Tijani Kabiru, Abdulrahman Daddy, William Ukeme and Godwin Odibo dictating the game, while Sodiq Ibrahim kept Enyimba’s defense busy.
They shot to a well deserved lead in the 16th minute when Sodiq, clinically finished off Daddy Abdulrahman’s well laid pass.
Another defense splitting combination between Odibo and Sodiq almost saw the Stars doubling their lead, but the forward’s effort went inches away off target, with Enyimba’s goalkeeper Ani Ozoemena already displaced.
The People’s Elephants got back on level terms with three minutes left in the half, courtesy of Ekene Awazie’s strike.
The second half was evenly contested as both sides pressed for another goal.
The introduction of Adebayo Abayomi, Mustapha Adams, Ephraim Nwachukwu and Akpan Joshua further boosted the coach Gbenga Ogunbote tutored lads’ perfromance.
The People’s Elephants pushed forward in the closing stage of the encounter, but goalkeeper Mustapha Lawal, and the defensive quartet of Skipper Gali Falke, Desmond Ojietefian, Gbolagade Adelowo and Ikouwem Utim, complemeted by Alex Aghahowa, displayed sheer bravery to keep them at bay, thereby ensuring that the spoils were shared.
