Chigozie Obasi’s free kick 13 minutes from time gave Enyimba the bragging rights in the Abia Derby as they edged Abia Warriors 2-1 in an interesting MatchDay 1 encounter decided on Sunday.
Even as Enyimba won, the Head Coach, Finish George insisted the team did not play to their full strength but expressed delight that they claimed all three points.
“Yeah, we did not play to our strengths. We are a passing team and today they had a better game in the first 20 minutes and in the second half, it was 50-50 so we’re going to work on that and be better in the next game,” said Finidi.
On the outcome of the game, Finidi, a good friend of Imama Amapakabo, his rival on Abia Warriors bench, said, “We’re happy because it was a difficult game. As you can see, the weather was very hot and as time goes on the players will get better when they compete like this. I must take the positive things I saw out of the game and work on the things that were not that good”.
After about half an hour of possession football exhibited by both sides, hosts Enyimba had gone in front in the 34th minute through Ekene Awazie who did well to cushion Philip Ozor’s pass before firing beyond Warriors goalkeeper Okiemute Odah.
Abia Warriors came close to an equaliser late in the first half but Shedrack Oghali’s header was cleared off the line by Enyimba defender Nabil Yarou. Warriors were not to be denied though five minutes after the break and they claimed a deserved equaliser courtesy of Paul Samson whose flamboyant over-head kick to meet Chimezie Njoku’s cross went in off the post.
After a raft of substitutions by both sides, Enyimba stole the winner in the 77th minute through Obasi whose trademark free kick went in just under Odah.
The win made it four out of four in competitive games for Enyimba head coach, George whose side were being walked-over or supposedly so in Libya by Al Ittihad about the time the game was being played.
For Warriors, the defeat marks the second season in a row that they will open their league campaign with a defeat against their more illustrious neighbours Enyimba.
The People’s Elephant have their work cut out for them on Match Day 2 with another Oriental Derby, this time against Rangers International in Nnewi while Abia Warriors welcome Sunshine Stars to Okigwe.
Enyimba Team List
12. Olorunleke Ojo 17. Chigozi Obasi 34. Johnson Umah 16. Philip Ozor (C) (4. Anthony Omaka 81′) 23. Adekunle Adeleke 6. Nabil Yarou 13. Sadiq Abubakar (19. Gabriel Orok 64′) 24. Fatai Abdullahi (42. Godwin Emmanuel 69′) 25. Victor Mbaoma (8. Samuel Stone Onukwube 81′) 14. Samuel Kalu (Cyril Olisema 69′) 30. Ekene Awazie
Unused Substitutes
35. Henry Ani 28. Abel James 18. Pascal Eze 37. Eze H. Ekwutoziam “Pinto”
GOALS: Ekene Awazie 34′ Chigozie Obasi 77′
Abia Warriors Team List
30. Okiemute Odah 37. Chimezie Njoku 23. Kabiru Muhammad 17. Daniel Wotlai 13. Innocent Gabriel 20. Markson Ojobo 4. Cletus Emotan Eba (3. Emmanuel Onu 72′) 11. Kalu Nweke (Mustapha Jibreel 84′) 15. Shedrack Oghali (12. Yakub Hammed 72′) 21. Godwin Obaje 7. Paul Samson
Substitutes
1. Ibrahim Pius 10. Anthony Okemmiri 28. Lukman Bello 5. Chigozie Uzochukwu 39. Abdul Lawal 12. Hammed Yakub 3. Emmanuel Onu
25. Udochukwu Anumudu
GOAL: Paul Samson 50′
