By Eche Amos

Nasarawa United’s quest to move up the ladder of the Nigeria Professional Football League hit rock bottom on Wednesday evening.

With the Executive Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, alongside a few government functionaries on ground to cheer the home side, The Solid Miners shockingly lost 1-2 to visiting Enyimba of Aba at the Lafia City Stadium as matchday eight action resumed across the nation.

Against the run of play, the People’s Elephants took the lead within sixteen minutes in a bizarre manner after defender, Abubakar Abdullahi, clawed Tosin Omoyele’s cross into his own net.

Four minutes later, the Lafia side restored parity through in-form attacker, Chinedu Ohanachom, after he benefited from Haggai Katoh’s flicker within the box.

Enyimba, however, doubled their lead from the spot through Cyril Olisema after Uzochukwu Chigozie brought down Anayo Iwuala in the 18 yard in the 32nd minute, with Nasarawa United going into the break trailing the eight time league champions.

Coming back from the half-time, the vistors’ Anthony Omaka received the marching order after he punched Chinedu Ohanachom in the neck in the 61st minute, reducing the Aba Elephants to ten men.

Coach Bala Nikyu rang in some changes in search of the equalizer, and possible victory, as they dominated possession, but all to no effect.

2-1 it ended in favour of Enyimba, as the Solid Miners lost their first home game, this campaign, and their second defeat in all games this season.

The result means Enyimba tops the league table  with 18 points while Nasarawa United slips to the 6th position with 14 points.

Nasarawa United next play Rivers United on Monday, 8th February, 2021, in Port-Harcourt, in a rescheduled tie.

Post-Match Reactions:

Coach Bala Nikyu(Nas): “The match has been played, won and lost. It’s part of the game.

“Anytime you go to the field, you go with an ambition of either winning, losing or drawing. From the beginning of the league season, we got two away wins, at least we were happy.

“If you lose a game, it will help you to gear up,  because if we had won now, people will be thinking everything is ok-we have to gear up.

‘We are preparing for the next match as it is. And whatever it is, I pray that we go out on  a good day.”

Fatai Osho(Eny): “We planned so much for this game because Nasarawa United are a formidable team. You can see how they played -they are so tenacious, threw everything at us, but we were so resolute that we got it tactically right.

“Kudos to the players for exhibiting the tactical ability. Even though we have lots of players that are offensive-minded, but we had to put them on the defensive position, before initiating the attack, and that worked for us.”