By Austin Tyowua, Media Officer Lobi Stars FC
Lobi Stars for the second time in 8 days fire blank in matchdays 6 and 7 of the NPFL 2020/2021, the first was against Rangers last Sunday 24th in Enugu and Sunday 31st January 2021 against Abia Warriors in Makurdi.
While the Matchday 6 goalless scoreline against Rangers in Enugu was celebrated, the Matchday 7 goalless scoreline threw Lobi off balance as the 3 points at stake which would have placed Lobi neck to neck with the table-toppers were counted as won. A situation that further slipped Lobi Stars 2 steps down the ladder for the second time in 2 successive match days.
Game kick off by 4 PM off the foot of Musa Najare after a one minute silence was observed in honour of Lobi Stars fallen legend, late Coach, Ambrose Jor as both teams played wearing black armbands in a mourning mood.
Abia Warriors approached the game as if their lives depend on it and true to it, it was a lifeline for Coach Imama Amapakabo who was playing the last of the 3 games target set for him by the management. The result of the games could at least make a case for Coach Imama. Though Abia Warriors didn’t win any of the 3 games at the same time didn’t lose any, creditably taking 2 away draws out of the 3.
The warriors from Umuahia held Lobi Stars spellbound all through the 90 minutes duration of the game. Though couldn’t make shots at goal commensurate with their performance. Lobi Stars came close to breaking the inertia of the game but on all several occasions missed narrowly.
Musa Najare’s header would have put Lobi Stars in the lead as early as the 3rd minute from a free-kick from the right edge of the penalty area dropped by Ebube Duru but his header slipped away. Not even the 32nd minute well precise goal from Najare’s pass which was disallowed on the insistence of the second assistant referee that Najare was offside could break the tie.
Tiza Samuel and Abdulkareem Mumini replaced Zenke Thomas and Musa Najare respectively who were almost shadows of themselves to improve the fortunes of Lobi Stars in the 35th minute of the game, the inclusion of Mumini and Tiza in the remaining 10 minutes didn’t yield any result as the referee sounded his whistle for half time at 45+2.
The second half resumed with a better and new look Lobi Stars poised to take the lead but the resilience of Abia Warriors playing with three central defenders proved a hard but to crack with confidence untoward of an away team.
Chinonso Okonkwo, Abdulkareem Mumini, and Tiza Samuel’s efforts on different occasions couldn’t yield any fruit. The Abians looked gallant and unperturbed in the face of Lobi Stars seeming desperation, not even the inclusion of mercurial midfielder Onuwa Chukwuka and his team motivation could break the Warriors till the center Referee signal for the end of the game at 90+5 minutes.
Lobi Stars will shift battleground to Ilorin for a midweek cracker against the Coach Abdullahi tutored Kwara United on Wednesday 3rd January 2021.
