Ayobami Asekunowo will miss the next three games of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club, Rivers United.
The defender was hit with a three-match ban after he received a straight red card from referee, Sani Mohammed in the closing stages of United’s 2-3 defeat to Niger Tornadoes at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja in a match day six NPFL game decided on Sunday.
Asekunowo will now miss United’s NPFL games against Shooting Stars Sports club (in Ibadan on March 19), Sunshine Stars (in Port Harcourt on March 23) and Ikorodu United (in Lagos on March 27).
Sunday’s game represented the first time Asekunowo was starting a game for United this season.
He was not listed in the club’s first three games this season against Enyimba, MFM FC and FC Ifeanyi Ubah.
A late fight back from Rivers United fail to yield dividends as Nigeria Tornadoes prevailed by the odd goal in five in a tempestuous but hugely-entertaining Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) contest decided at the Lokoja Stadium on Sunday.
The big news from the United camp before kick off was the demotion to the bench, of former Super Eagles goal keeper, Sunday Rotimi with Godwin Anyalogu preferred in his place.
In Rotimi’s absence, United conceded three, for the first time this season but Anyalogu was not culpable for any.
In a first half that ebbed and flowed, both sides traded goal scoring chances with the hosts finally taking the lead in the third minute of stoppage time.
United defender, Gabriel Olalekan, who had proved to be his side’s best player of the half, inexplicably attempted a bicycle kick at the edge of his own half but inadvertently caught Ammeh Wilfred in the face.
Olalekan’s carelessness was to cost United as Ismaila Gata stepped up and curled home a beauty from 25 yards past a diving Anyalogu with what proved to be the last kick of a brilliant half of football.
The goal on the stroke of half time was a psychological blow which the United players failed to recover from as the luckless Olalekan diverted Gabriel Wassa’s long range effort past a stranded Anyalogu in the 58th minute for the hosts’ second goal.
Two-nil quickly became three-nil and remarkably, Olalekan was again at fault.
The former Sharks man mistimed a defensive header and Jackson Daniel smacked home at the second time of asking despite Anyalogu’s best efforts to keep out the strike.
The United trainer, Eguma responded by throwing in attacking substitutions which delivered rich and dramatic late rewards.
Daniel Israel and Guy Kuemian were thrown into the fray and they repaid their trainers’ faith with late goals that threw the cat among the pigeons among the Tornadoes faithful.
It proved to be too little, too late though an Ayobami Asekunowo expulsion, at the death, for a second bookable offence saw United’s late fight back end in yet another away defeat.
Tornadoes’ assistant coach, Bala Mohammed blamed ‘tactical mistakes’ for his side’s near capitulation of monumental proportions late on in the contest.
“We had some minor tactical errors especially from the action of our players when they lost the ball.
“After we got the third goal, our player got carried away; most of them.
“They only played when they had the ball and stopped playing when they did not.
Rivers United
“Rivers United then began dominating the midfield with four midfielders playing against our three and that was how they got their goals within a five-minute period,” Mohammed told RIVERS UNITED MEDIA.
On his part, the United technical manager, Stanley Eguma said he will try to ‘correct mistakes’ from their next league fixture.
“We started quite well but we conceded that goal from a free kick at the stroke of half time.
“In the second half, we conceded two quick goals as my players lost their heads.
“The good thing was the fight back but we will try to correct our mistakes from our next match,” Eguma said.
Overall, the game was a brilliant advert for Nigerian football with Tornadoes moving up four places up the standings to 11th place with seven points from six matches while United dropped two places and now occupy seventh place with nine points from six matches
Niger Tornadoes and Rivers United go head to head in a match day six Nigeria Professional Football League game that should be special for many reasons.
Tornadoes currently sit in 15th place on the NPFL standings with four points from five matches but this is a side that can score goals.
Abdullahi Biffo’s charges have scored in all but one of their opening five fixtures this season but they come up against a United side that sit in fifth place on the log and have netted in all five of their games this term.
Biffo has no injury concerns and says his side is ready to put the Port Harcourt club to the sword on Sunday.
“The fans want victory and that is what the players want too. Our position on the log is not encouraging so to improve it, we have to go all out for an outright win against Rivers United,” Biffo told RIVERS UNITED MEDIA.
Tornadoes currently play their home fixtures away from their traditional home ground; the Minna Township Stadium due to refurbishment work at their home lair.
They have since made the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, their home ground where they have amassed four points from a possible six.
Biffo does not think playing home games away from Minna is a problem for his side.
“That we play in Lokoja does not affect our results. It is quite clear that in the Nigerian league today, if you have a good team, you can play anywhere (and get a good result).
“We don’t really miss playing in Minna (from a footballing perspective).
“The only thing we miss are the fans who will always come out in their numbers to cheer us to victory when we play in Minna,” he said.
The visitors, Rivers United have been peerless at home but notoriously poor travellers this season.
They have shipped in four goals in just two matches and failed to amass even a single point on their travels this season.
Rivers United Coach Stanley Eguma
Technical manager, Stanley Eguma has no injury worries but has surprisingly excluded Benjamin Ovoke from the match day squad.
He insists the losing streak in away games will be snapped on Sunday.
“We have yet to pick up a single point on the road this season. We have prepared for this game against Niger Tornadoes.
“Our preparations are aimed at seeing us pick maximum points (here in Lokoja) but we know we are going to face a very good side.
“From their days in the second division, they have kept the core of their tem even after gaining promotion (to the elite division) so they have continuity as an important factor going for them,” he said.
The fixture kicks off at 4pm at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja.
Form guide (Niger Tornadoes)
Match day one: Plateau 2-1 Tornadoes
Match day two: Tornadoes 1-1 Giwa
Match day three: Rangers 2-1 Tornadoes
Match day four: Tornadoes 2-0 Nasarawa
Match day five: Warri Wolves 1-0 Tornadoes
Form guide (Rivers United)
Match day one: Rivers United 1-0 Enyimba
Match day two: MFM FC 2-1 Rivers United
Match day three: Rivers United 2-0 FC Ifeanyi Ubah
Rivers United goal keeper, Sunday Rotimi is “obsessed” with keeping a clean sheet on Sunday when his side files out against Niger Tornadoes at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja.
United come into the match day six Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) fixture in fine fettle having amassed nine points from a possible 15 this season.
The Port Harcourt club have also scored in every away game they have played thus far but Rotimi is more concerned with preventing opposition players from scoring against him.
The shot-stopper who has not missed a single minute of action for United this season insists his side must go for an outright win in Lokoja on Sunday.
“Yes, I am obsessed with (not letting in any goal) against Niger Tornadoes on Sunday.
“If I don’t concede, then we won’t lose. It is as simple as that,” the experienced goal keeper told Rivers United Media.
Rivers United goalkeeper Sunday Rotimi
Rotimi concluded by analysing the reasons behind the losses United have recorded on the road this season.
“In Lagos (against MFM FC on match day two), we started too slowly and were lucky not to concede five goals in the first half.
“We recovered in the second half but had too much ground to cover.
“The game (against Giwa FC on match day four) in Jos was more complicated. I think we were better than them but certain things happened in that game which I just don’t want to remember.
“Now, we have to look ahead and approach this game against Tornadoes the right way.
“We are going there (Lokoja) to play for a win but to achieve that, we must play like champions,” he said.
Niger Tornadoes head coach, Abdullah Biffo has dismissed claims that his side will struggle in the elite division, despite failing to record a win in its first three fixtures of the season.
Tornadoes are one of the four teams promoted from the Nigeria National League (NNL) to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) at the start of the season and have managed one draw at home and two defeats on the road thus far.
Biffo in a chat with npfl.ng shortly after his side’s loss to Rangers International at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, on Sunday, expressed optimism that the Minna side would overcome the seeming early poor run of form and compete well.
“The fact remains that we have dropped another three points and that is not what we bargained for. It was our third game of the season and we are yet to record a win and it gives all of us major concern. I believe we will get it right in the next few games.
Niger Tornadoes head coach, Abdullah Biffo With His Technical Crew photo credit: Niger Tornadoes
We will pick up from here and win games. We have had only three out of 38 matches; there are 35 more games to play before one can make any concrete statement as regards the season. We have not even gone halfway yet. No team can at the moment know where they will finish in the league. It is too early to make predictions. As the league progresses we hope to improve”, the Coach told npfl.ng
Niger Tornadoes play Nasarawa United in a Match day 4 fixture at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja on Wednesday.
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