Sports
BARAU FC on Sunday defeated Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan 1-0 in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.
The only goal of the encounter came in the ninth minute when Shooting Stars defender, Olakunle Akala, inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
In spite of several attempts by the visitors to level the score, Barau FC held on to secure all three points.
Speaking after the match, Barau FC Coach, Eugene Agbabe, thanked God for the victory, describing the league as increasingly competitive, with no team to be underrated.
Agbabe said Shooting Stars were a strong side, having defeated Abia Warriors 4-1 in their previous match.
He explained that Barau FC had targeted an early goal as part of their game plan and successfully achieved it within the opening minutes.
The coach said his players were also cautioned against continuing to attack with the same intensity after taking the lead, particularly as the match approached the 70th minute.
“Our priority was to protect the lead and secure the three points. Thankfully, we achieved our objective,” he said.
Agbabe said the team had a target in the league and would continue working towards achieving it.
He expressed optimism about the team’s next away fixture against Doma United, saying the players would give their best to secure a positive result.
On his part, Mohammed Bashir, Chief Coach of Shooting Stars, said his team lost the match because of its own mistakes rather than the superiority of the hosts.
“To me, Shooting Stars lost to Shooting Stars. I don’t believe we lost to Barau FC; rather, we lost to ourselves because I didn’t see many clear chances created by Barau FC,” he said.
Bashir said his players failed to convert their opportunities, adding that the mistakes they made were punished by their opponents.
He, however, said his team improved as the match progressed, insisting that Barau FC created no further clear chances after taking the lead.
The coach said the technical crew would review the match, identify the mistakes and work towards correcting them before their next fixture.
He expressed optimism that Shooting Stars would return stronger and secure a convincing victory in their next match. (NAN)
M.P
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