Former Premier League sides Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) and Gateway FC were held at home in Match Day 1 of this season’s Nigeria National League (NNL) but Bayelsa United and Stationery Stores enjoyed routine home wins on Wednesday.
In the much talked about Group B1 dubbed “The Group of Death”, Shooting Stars were held 1-1 by a stubborn Abia Comets side at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Ibadan. Comets took a shock lead in the twentieth minute through Abdulkareem Mumuni before Rasheed Ahmed missed a chance to equalise for 3SC from the spot five minutes later. Fatai Gbadamosi however levelled for Edith Agoye’s side but they failed to find a winner.
Gateway FC also missed a penalty at the MKO Abiola Stadium Abeokuta when Ekiti United held them to a 0-0 draw. The group’s other game ended in an away win with Dynamite Force FC beating Calabar Rovers 1-0 in Calabar.
Former Ocean Boys coach Samson Unuanel lost on his return to Yenagoa when Bayelsa United defeated his Osun United side 2-0 at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex. Striker Samuel Akinbinu gave the Restoration Boys the lead in the tenth minute before Sunday Owoyemi sealed three points with a 70th minute goal.
Kogi United were the biggest winners on Match Day 1 after a comprehensive 5-0 thrashing of Yarmalight FC. Osas Eghe netted a delightful brace for United with John Jerome and Daniel Frimpong also getting on the scoresheet for Tunde Abdulrahman’s side.
RESULTS
Match DAY ONE
Group A1
NAF FC 2 vs 1 EFCC
Group A2
Kogi Utd 5 – 0 FC Yarmalight
FC Zamfara 1 vs 1 Jigawa G Stars
Group A3
Green Beret 1 vs 0 Bimo SC
Rarara FC 1 vs 0 Road Safety
Group A4
Giodano 0 vs 1 Mighty Jets
ABS FC vs Sokoto Utd (11/4/19)
Adamawa Utd 1 vs 0 Aklosendi Int’l
Group B1
3SC FC 1-1 Abia Comets
Bayelsa 2-0 Osun Utd
Group B2
FT: J’Atete 1-0 36Lion
Stationery Stores FC 3 vs 0 De Sapele Lions FC
Akwa Starlets 2 vs 1 Jossy FC
Group B3
Rovers FC 0 vs 1 Dynamite FC
Gateway 0 vs 0 Ekiti Utd
Group B4
Warri Wolves 2 vs 1 Ibom Youths FC
Words of life 2 vs 0 Lamry FC
