Posted by The Vanguard on
Football lovers in Bayelsa State will troop to the Township Stadium in the capital, Yenagoa on Wednesday to cheer local team Bayelsa United against Premier League side, Iwuanyanwu Nationale in the first leg, quarter -final of this year's Coca Cola FA Cup competition.
Football lovers in Bayelsa State will troop to the Township Stadium in the capital, Yenagoa on Wednesday to cheer local team Bayelsa United against Premier League side, Iwuanyanwu Nationale in the first leg, quarter -final of this year's Coca Cola FA Cup competition.
The pro league side reached this stage after dealing Kwara United, another Premier League club, a deadly blow. Now, the moment of truth is here. Can they repeat the giant -killing habit against powerhouse Nationale?
Both teams are coached by young and ambitious trainers, and Bayelsa have a clutch of stars who have seen action in the top division and even internationally, including John Aranka, Friday Ejedegba and George Ohuabunwa, while skipper Tarilaye Nwankwe, Emmanuel Eghaghara and keeper Sule Mohammed are competent as well.
Coming from a shock defeat by League bottom team Gabros and a daunting trip to Gombe, Nationale could be physically and mentally unprepared when the whistle goes for kick -off in Yenagoa on Wednesday. But coach Stanley Eguma, who was in the Dolphin team that won in 2001, says there would be nothing like that.
In Makurdi, 2003 champions Lobi Stars lie in wait for giant -killing Nassarawa United, determined to stop the journey of the ‘Solid Miners' at this stage. United, coached by Ben Duamlong, Zachary Baraje and Daniel Amokachi have been sensational in the past couple of months, ejecting 11-time finalists Enugu Rangers at the Round of 16 and hitting 3SC 3-0 and Julius Berger 3-1 in Lafia in the Premier League.
Chinedu Ezimorah and Friday Ibeji would be coach Tunde Disu's aces for this game, the former just coming from the national camp where he scored a goal against a Benin club-side in a friendly mid-week. On their part, Nassarawa would also throw up Salisu Nasiru, also a part of the Abuja match, with Friday Ekong, Jerry Dakop, John Agbawu, Nura Nakargo, Kabiru Jibrin and ‘Berger -destroyer', Austin James also in the hunt.
The matches between Dolphin and Sharks both of Port Harcourt, and Enyimba against Gombe United in Gombe, have been postponed by a week due to Enyimba's and Dolphin's continental assignments on Sunday.