Abubakar Bukola Saraki Ilorin FC on Saturday defeated EFCC Football Club of Abuja 1-0 in a Nigeria National League in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Match Day 7 2021/2022 NNL encounter was played at the Kwara Stadium Complex.
The result means the Ilorin based NNL side now moved one place on the log to the second position with 13 points plus give goals difference behind City FC of Abuja, which is leading the Group A1 with 15 points.
ABS Ilorin FC were the better side for most part of the first half, but they had a penalty turned down by the Centre Referee in the 15th minute when the homers protested that an EFCC player may have handled the box in his goal area.
Three minutes later, John Maurice produced a fantastic cross but none of his mates arrived on time to do a simple tap in to put the hosts ahead.
The ABS Ilorin FC captain, Ibrahim Muhammed, in 31st minute met Abdullahi Ojifini’s pass, but he played wide his effort.
Ojifini two minutes later left his teammates and bench in anguish when he nodded wide Noah Ogidi’s fine cross when the few spectators at the stand thought he was going to score.
Akeem Favour’s cross into the hosts’ box in the 37th minute was too heavy for any of playing mates to connect.
It was one of the fewer goal scoring opportunities the visitors produced in the first half.
Another EFCC chance came with four minutes left before the break when a shot aimed at goal was almost finding the back of the net.
ABS picked up from where they left it in the first half at the restart and showed more intent to find their way to secure the maximum three points at stake on the day.
Ibrahim Muhammed found his way to the visitors putting himself in a dangerous position for anyone to touch before stretching his right foot to direct the ball inside the net in the midst of few EFCC defenders for the only goal of the match in the 50th minute of play.
Even though the visitors lost, Akeem Favour was a real nightmare for the ABS Ilorin FC left back, John Godwin, who struggled to cope with the pace of the youngster.
ABS Ilorin FC will now travel to Maiduguri to lock horns with El-Kanemi Warriors on Match Day 8.
