Posted by By Jim Udede on
Nigeria's reigning double champions, Dolphin Football Club of Port Harcourt on Sunday at the Liberation Stadium put smiles on the faces of their fans, who included the Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili and his wife, Hon Justice Mary Odili, with a hard earned win over Arab Contractors of Egypt.
Nigeria's reigning double champions, Dolphin Football Club of Port Harcourt on Sunday at the Liberation Stadium put smiles on the faces of their fans, who included the Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili and his wife, Hon Justice Mary Odili, with a hard earned win over Arab Contractors of Egypt.
Only eight minutes into the match, a member of the silver medal-winning Flying Eagles team, Kennedy Chinwo powered home a free-kick some metres outside the eighteen.
Arab Contractors goalie, Daoudu was left clutching the thin air with his dive.
Thus, fans expected a rout but that was not to be.
Rather, the Egyptians came forcefully into the game, with some sharp ball-passing and dangerous forays into the homers' goal area.
In spite of the resilience and determination of the visitors to draw level, Chinwo proved a yeoman, both in defence and in providing attacking options which were fluffed by the trio of Endurance Idahor, Bola Bello and Ochuko Ojobo.
Having taken over the midfield, the Arab Contractors kept piling pressure and only some sharp saves by Chijioke Ejiogu, and the defence line of skipper Ahmed Abdulrahman, Chinwo and Kingsley Williams kept the score-line at one goal in favour of Dolphin.
All that was to change sixteen minutes into the second half when a high ball off a fast counter attack from the right flank caught Ejiogu on the wrong feet, leaving two Egyptians with who to finish a job that Anur Saleh, in No. 26 shirt, did promptly to the joy of his team and the Ambassador of Egypt to Nigeria.
With a poor result starring the Dolphin technical crew in the face, the pair of Kelechi Osunwa and Efosa Eguakun were brought in, causing an instant change of the tempo.
Most of the scintillating runs of Eguakun were punctured by the resolute Arab Contractors defence which ensured that his passes were cut-off before any damage is done..
As usual, the North Africans were fast in attack but sluggish when they had the ball advantage in defence and kept the score one-goal-apiece until the 90th minute, but the Gambian referee compensated the teams with four minutes extra time.
Disappointed fans were already leaving the stadium, but the Dolphin players showed desperation.
Their forays into enemy territory increased.
Then the high ball which would change everything and give victory to the hard-fighting Dolphin a place in the registry books came.
The high ball floated in the direction of Kelechi Osunwa came from the left side of the field.
Sharply, he connected the ball home, hitting the roof of the net for the winner that elicited loud cheers and excitement.
In the euphoria of that winner, Dolphin soon initiated another goal-bound move with Idahor running close to the 18-yrd-box but the centre referee blew the whistle for the end of the game.