Aniekan Ekpe rolled back the years to inspire Dakkada FC to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over dogged Jigawa Golden Stars at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Sunday. Aniekan Ekpe rolled back the years to inspire Dakkada FC to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over dogged Jigawa Golden Stars at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Sunday. His home town club looked set to trail 0-1 at the break after Mohammed Abubakar’s 25th-minute strike but Ekpe gave his team a crucial equalizer in the first-half stoppage time when he powered home a free-kick from the edge of the box. The captain then turned provider eight minutes after the re-start when his deep cross was headed home from close range by Solomon Chigozie on his full debut for the club.
Both managers made very little changes to their selection last weekend with Jigawa’s solitary change being the inclusion of veteran center back Papa Idris while Dakkada handed a full debut to Chigozie after a substitute role last week. Both players had their say on their team’s opening goals. It was Idris who headed Ali Kalla Musa’s corner across goal for Abubakar to jab home in spite of desperate attempts by Dakkada defenders to clear on the goal line. The game suddenly developed to an end-to-end contest shortly after Jigawa’s goal. The hosts expectedly poured forward for an equaliser but ageless goalkeeper Paul Godwin, in goal for Jigawa dealt with their efforts on target quite comfortably while his opposite number Omokhudu Thomas made a really fine save to deny Peter Dogara on the half-hour mark.
Yazid Adamu also saw a header collected by Godwin before he was yanked a minute before the break. With half time whistle beckoning, Chigozie was fouled by Olanrewaju Rahman at the edge of the box with Ekpe obliging with an emphatic strike. Dakkada quickly got their noses in front in the 53rd minute courtesy of Chigozie’s header. The midfielder ghosted his way behind the Jigawa defence to meet Ekpe’s pin-point delivery with a well-placed header which Godwin had no answer to. The hosts probably should have added a third in the 69th minute but substitute Philip Archibong rather inexplicably missed from eight yards after Kokoete Udo had put the ball on a plate for him.
The Uyo based side held on for their win rather comfortably in the end and continue their 100% record against Jigawa Golden Stars in the league. Up next for Dakkada is a trip to FC Ifeanyiubah on Match Day 3 while Jigawa will host Rangers in Kaduna.
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