Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club (ABS) Ilorin FC kicked off their Nigeria National U-19 Youth League campaign with a 1-1 draw against AS ROMA Academy at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Saraki Boys, determined and highly motivated came into the game in search of a win but were also mindful not to concede as they defended solidly cutting out all attacking threats from their hosts in the first half to keep the score goalless at halftime.
The second half resumed with the same intensity with both teams presented with several goal scoring opportunities.
Abdulrasheed Usman capitalised on a goalkeepers’ error to put ABS FC ahead in the game. However captain Odigbo Grey took it upon himself as he equalised at stoppage time with a stunning 35-yard strike beating goalkeeper Waheed Saheed who went at full stretch but unable to prevent the ball from going in.
Reacting after the game, Coach Babatunde Toafeeq expressed satisfaction with his team performance adding that it’s a good experience for his lads and they will build on the momentum in their subsequent games.
“I am okay with the results of the game because most of the players haven’t gone out of Ilorin to play anywhere and this is a league- for them to key into the pattern we played for the first time; 3:5:2 defensively which was what we came to do, to see them and study how they play and then hit them on the counter but to me individually, in a unit and the group play was okay for me.
“We go back to the drawing board and continue to work so that they can properly key into the pattern, we will be at home now and we will find another kind of way of playing” he said.
I am disappointed we didn’t get the win but I am satisfied with the results- Usman
Goal scorer Abdulwaheed Usman was also disappointed not to have ended the game with a win but satisfied with the point adding that it wasn’t an easy game.
He expressed excitement with his goal adding that it was his job to score for the team and his happy to have gotten his first goal for the club.
“It is the striker’s duty to score and to help the team and I am happy to have gotten the goal but sadly we were unable to defend the goal- but it happens we will go back home with the point.” He said.
