Kwara United FC of Ilorin on Wednesday rallied late to continue its impressive start of the 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League Season with a 2-1 victory over visiting Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the NPFL Matchday 8 encounter was played at the Kwara Stadium Complex, Ilorin.
Kwara United’s Coach, Abdullahi Biffo, and his boys laboured in the last 10 minutes of the match as they allowed the visitors to express themselves, thereby, bringing Dele Aiyenugba’s four-clean sheet to an end.
Kwara United began impressively and the hosts should have scored two goals in the opening 20 minutes, considering their many goal scoring opportunities.
Jide Fatokun had a beautiful opportunity, which would have given Kwara United the lead in the 15th minute, but his effort was perfectly saved by goalkeeper Moses Ocheje.
Kwara United, dominating most of the proceedings in the first stanza, had their appeal for a penalty in the 41st minute turned down by the centre referee as he waved play on.
Lobi Stars restarted the second stanza better than the hosts, as they dominated and threatened Kwara United each time they pour forward.
In the 58th minute, Jide Fatokun met Taiwo Salaudeen’s cross, but Lobi Stars’ defender, Lazarus John, conceded a penalty to the host as he handled the ball while trying to guide Kwara United attacker’s header away from goal.
Christopher Nwaeze stepped forward to take the penalty, and even though he scored from the spot, Lobi Stars’ goalkeeper, Moses Ocheje, was close to saving it.
After netting the second goal, Kwara United sat back and allowed Samuel Tiza to score for Lobi Stars in the 80th minute from an open play to end the match at 2-1.
With the result, Kwara United now move to the third position on the log with 15 points from eight games.
They would be playing Sunshine Stars in Akure on Sunday.