Coach Kennedy Boboye of Abia Warriors Football Club was a disconsolate man at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Sunday after visiting Sunshine Stars FC of Akure humbled his team 2-1.
Boboye joined Abia Warriors this season and had coached the Akure side last season, and was hopeful of beating his former side. The visiting side showed class and more determination, with Rasak Adegbite opening scores in the 45th minute after beating the hosts defence.
Substitute Obinna Nwaimo however gave Abia Warriors hope when he scored the equaliser for the home team in the 75th minute of the encounter. The goal did spur Abia Warriors into more action, but they could not convert into goal their scoring chances to take the lead, even with the introduction of Chisom Chikatara.
But substitute Dele Olorundare restored the visitors lead by scoring their second goal in the 90th minute, when he dispossessed Abia Warriors’ defender Michael Olaha of the ball.
Speaking after the match, some fans of Abia Warriors expressed disappointment with the performance of the team and attributed their first home loss in the league to complacency. Two of the fans, Prince Obike and Oyibo Sunday, told NAN that Abia Warriors underrated Sunshine Stars, believing that they would overrun them at home like other teams.
“It was obvious that the visiting team were hungrier for goals and Abia Warriors probably felt sure of victory since they have been winning their home matches.’’
But Chikatara later told NAN that he and his teammates prepared well and did their best, saying “in football, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. “It is not true that we took the match for granted. There is no way anybody can take any team in the Premier League for granted.
“We played well and were determined to win. But this is football, victory can go either way.’’ Coach Boboye, on his part, however said they would go back to the drawing board to correct their mistakes and re-strategise. He promised that they would retaliate against Sunshine Stars in the reverse fixture in Akure