Home Nigeria Football League NPFL 2021/22 : Lobi Stars Ifeanyi Ogba Compound The Woes Of MFM...

NPFL 2021/22 : Lobi Stars Ifeanyi Ogba Compound The Woes Of MFM FC

Two goals in half an hour, in the 9th and 30th minutes from match hero Ifeanyi Ogba through Adams Olamilekan’s right side crosses ensured victory for Lobi Stars over MFM in a NPFL 2021/2022, matchday 12 played at The Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi.

MFM took the kick off but Lobi Stars took over proceedings and approached the game with the hunger of a team in dire need of goals. The pride of Benue made success of their third build up to the MFM goal as rookie Adams Olamilekan break and outran the defence of the visitors and delivered a precise cross for forward running Ifeanyi Ogba to head home for the first goal and put Lobi Stars in the lead.

Four minutes later, Osimaga put a through pass on the right but the pass was too deep for what would have been another opportunity as pacy Adams Olamilekan who despite his speed, though out ran the defence of MFM but chased in vain.

The push for goals continue with a 19th, 23rd minutes incursion from Lobi Stars. The clearest of the chances came when Ogba was in the world of his own in the goal area but inexperience robbed him of a penalty as he resisted the fall that would clearly had given him penalty advantage in the 24th minute.

A 30th minute clinical build up that was initiated by goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali ended up with Francis Odinaka’s through pass on the right for Adams Olamilekan, his cross in a similar style that gave his team the first goal found same Ifeanyi Ogba who made no mistake to slot the ball inside the net for the second goal for Lobi Stars, his second in the game and 4th on the overall score sheet of the NPFL 2021/2022.

Ifeanyi Ogba would have made it 3 to his credit in the matchday 12 in the 39th minute when he received a pass from Onuwa Chukwuka who was on active distributive duty in the midfield and magically escape the pack of MFM defence players to strike a power packed shot that was save by the timely and perceptive ability of goalie Isaac Jerry.

Luck ran out of Adams Olamilekan to put his name on the score sheet when he was set up by Onuwa Chukwuka from a double pass, Adams saw a wrongly positioned Isaac Jerry and instead of the intended cross, he intelligently lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper but was unfortunate as the ball hit the far left post out of danger at 45th minute of regulation time to end the first half of the game 2 goals up.

The glory to glory boys returned in the game in with the same goal seeking zeal as a 46th minute minute interpass between Chinonso Okonkwo and Adams Olamilekan opens yet another opportunity for Olamilekan but his close range shot at goal went to the near post where Isaac Jerry blocked securely in to safety for a corner kick.

Chinonso Okonkwo 35 mitre strike from a 54th minute free kick hit the goal post for another opportunity lost for Lobi Stars to have increased the goal tally. Another opportunity came again 5 minutes later as the forward build up of Ogba and Olamilekan was returned to Ayagwa Raphael whose thunder bolt shot went slightly over the wood work.

Francis Odinaka’s 62nd minute telegraphic pass to the far left accurately located Gabriel Wassa who controlled forward and release an unexpected strike at goal but the under pressure MFM goalie proved competent enough to repel the shot.

Lobi Stars Okolo Michael, and Anayo Ogbonna replaced Onuwa Chukwuka and Chinonso Okonkwo respectively in the 67th minute, the substitution rather than add bite seemed to have weaken the strength of the team.

74 minutes extent of play, Adams Olamilekan break away from the right but his cross hit the bar to the direction of Gabriel Wassa but goalie Jerry Isaac blocked out yet another opportunity for Lobi Stars and a save for MFM.

Douglas Achiv and Mubarak Saidu took over from Ayagwa Raphael and Adams Olamilekan in the 77th minute, the subs were viewed to be counter productive, a thought that was admitted by Coach Emmanuel Iorsar during the post match media interview.

MFM made good use of the break down and pull down one goal as substitute Oladayo Alabi break from the right to kick a weak shot that surprisingly beat Lobi Stars goalie Stanley Nwabali for goal credit to MFM after 3 minutes of the last substitution, precisely in the 80th minute to end the game at 2-1 in favour of Lobi Stars.

With this victory, though unsavouring, Lobi Stars has moved up 4 places on the log from 16th to 12th but are still suffering the goal deficit. The game would really have been a goal feast for Lobi Stars and an opportunity to cancel the goal deficit if their chances were properly taken.

Lobi Stars Lineup:
Stanley Nwabali, Adams Olamilekan (Mubarak Saidu 77″), Wassa Gabriel, Ayagwa Raphael (Douglas Achiv 77″), Kwambe Solomon, Tsehuan Moses, Osimaga Duke, Ifeanyi Ogba, Chinonso Okonkwo(Anayo Ogbonna 67″), Onuwa Chukwuka (Okolo Michael 67), Odinaka Francis.

Unused Subs:
Aliko Mustapha, Joshua Akhabue, Endurance Ebedebiri, Ufere Chinedu, Azeez Shobowale,

Cautions:
Osimaga Duke 54″, Nwabali Stanley 59″, Tsehuan Moses 66″

Goals:
Ifeanyi Ogba 9″, 30

Up next: Lobi Stars will be on the road to another bottom placed but recently motivated Heartland FC who pulled a surprise over the weekend in Uyo as the held defending champions Akwa United to a goalless draw.