Pillars, Kaduna open season with draw
Pillars, Kaduna open season with draw
Posted: 2010-11-07 09:33
Neighbours Kaduna United and Kano Pillars opened the 2010/2011 Nigeria Premier League season with an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Kaduna Township Stadium on Saturday.
Rabiu Ali volleyed Pillars in front after 28 minutes, and Siman Yusuf found parity for the hosts eight minutes before the interval.
A near full house in Kaduna witnessed the kickoff of a season which has suffered multiple postponements.
NPL chairman Davidson Owumi led a glittering cast of ex internationals, including Daniel Amokachi and Victor Ikpeba who witnessed the opening day of the season.
They were not to be disappointed by the passion and desire of the their successors, if not the quality of football.
Both sides had early chances to open the scoring, but Pillars looked the stronger side, and it was no surprise when they went in front.
Ali found himself on the end of an inch perfect ball from deep, and just had time to turn before lashing in on the half volley under Kaduna goalkeeper Richard Ochayi’s despairing dive to his bottom left hand corner.
Falling behind sparked the home side into life, and they laid siege to the visitors half.
Reward quickly followed endeavour. And it took barely eight minutes.
If Ali’s goal was of perfect quality to open the season, the leveler was even better. Sani Aruwa turned on a coin halfway into the Pillars half, and played an excellent ball into the right channel for Siman Yusuf.
Just like Ali before him, Yusuf allowed the ball to run in front of him, then unleashed a thunderbolt to the roof of Theophilus Afelokhai’s net.
Both sides could have added to their tally in the second period, but the profligacy that afflicts players in
the domestic game continued, with Kaduna’s Jude Aneke the villain of the piece.
In the end, it finished with no further goals, and the biggest relief will be among the fans. At least, the season is finally underway.
Finally.
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