By Fisayo Dairo
Striker Ndifreke Effiong scored his fourth goal of the season to hand Akwa United a vital 1-0 win over Kano Pillars in a MatchDay 7 encounter decided at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday.
The homegrown striker rose high and suspended himself in the air for seconds before heading home a superb cross by right back Etboy Akpan in the 29th minute of an entertaining, but one-sided first half in Uyo.
Saturday’s goal takes the Nigeria U-23 international joint top in the top scorer’s standing with four goals after seven matches alongside Sunshine Stars forward Sadeeq Yusuf.
Saturday’s win is the seventh time in a row that Akwa United will beat Kano Pillars in the league in Uyo.
Kano Pillars head coach Lionel Soccoia who made three changes to the side that defeated Rivers United on Wednesday attributed his team’s defeat to fatigue after having to go through a lengthy trip from Kaduna to Uyo.
“We had just three days to recover from our game on Wednesday so it is obvious it told on my players. It is very difficult, we also had an accident with one of our players which could have affected my players psychologically,” Soccoia told www.npfl.ng after the game.
Akwa United totally dominated the first half and could have led by a wider margin at the break. It was the second away game in a row that Kano Pillars failed to produce an inspired first half display after conceding twice in the first half away to Enyimba on Match Day 5.
Soccoia admitted his side didn’t do well in the first half but got better in the second.
“Akwa played very well in the first half and I think the state of our player that had accident affected my players. We changed three players in the second half and we pressed more but we could not score. It is not good for me that we could not score,” said Soccoia.
Akwa United played the game without their head coach Kennedy Boboye who observed a one-match ban after he was penalized for his unsportsmanlike comments after his team’s loss to Heartland last Sunday.
His first assistant Jolomi Atune oversaw Saturday’s game, Akwa United’s second win of the season after seven attempts. The former Warri Wolves assistant coach says his team were fully deserving of the full marks.
“It is a deserved win for us and everyone could see that. What we did today is what we have always done. We only tried to improve on it more and on our technicalities today and we saw good football,” Atune said.
Up next for Akwa United is a trip to Gombe for a date with Adamawa United while Kano Pillars will face Jigawa Golden Stars in a Kaduna tenant Derby at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Wednesday.
Akwa United XI
1. Adewale Adeyinka 29. Etboy Akpan 16. Otobong Effiong 12. Morice Chukwu 5. Samson Gbadebo 11. Olisa Ndah 7. Ubong Friday 21. Ndifreke Effiong 8. Salisu Saidu. 19. Seth Mayi 30. Mfon Udoh
Subs
22. Bassey Akpan 3. Philip David 6. Charles Okafor 13. Charles Atshimene 20. Oluwadamilare Ojo 25. Wisdom Fernando 26. Ikechukwu Nwani 27. Ubong Essien 28. Stephen Amos
Kano Pillars XI
1. Idrissu Ibrahim 27. Victor Dennis 30. Fahad Usman 4. Chinedu Ike 2. Ngweni Ndassi 14. Emmanuel Anyanwu 31. Yusuf Bala Maigoro 10. Rabiu Ali 17. Auwalu Ali Malam 38. Umar Hassan Maggi 28. Nyima Nwagua
Subs
12. Joshua Enaholo 3. Nasiru Sani 6. Munkaila Musa 13. Usman Babalolo 16. Bright Silas 18. David Nnaji 29. Ewenike Achibi
Harrison Iwuala
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