By Nelson Dafe on January 1, 1970

The excitement at the Edo State Aiteo FA Cup currently taking place at the Sports Complex of the University of Benin in Ugbowo, West of Benin City, has reached fever pitch.

Young players desirous of making a name and a professional career for themselves have been dishing out what they are made of with their various teams, while the prestige value of winning matches has spurred coaches of the participating clubs to put on their tactical thinking caps to find ways of advancing in the competition.

On Saturday afternoon at the sports complex of one of Nigeria’s for most tertiary institutions, two second round matches were played consecutively, with Royal Force and Shola FC advancing to the quarter-final of the Edo Aiteo Federation Cup.

It was a dramatic match at the main bowl of the UNIBEN pitch as Roual Force took on Dynamo Academicals, a relatively young but very ambitious some bases in the Ikpoba Hill area of Benin.

Earlier on in the round of 32, Royal Force FC had eliminated Dynamo’s feeder team 1-0.

Coming up against the Sapele Road-based Royal Force, there was a strong determination on the part of the Dynamo coaching crew not to suffer the embarrassment of getting knocked out for the second in a few days by the same team.

In the end that was what happened as Royal Force won the tie 7-6 on penalties after normal time had ended 1-1.

Dynamo began the game with early raids into the Royal Force 17-yard box with ex player of Royal Force Kelechi Harrison and 2015 Edo FA Cup highest goal scorer Francis Ikpomwonsa looking particularly threatening with mesmerising runs along both flanks.

However Royal Force were somehow able to weather the early storm and provided the first real talking point of the game when a swift counter attack ended up with a Royal Force attacker ghosting past Dynamo Academically goalkeeper who clearly appeared to have blocked his run inside the box.

The crowed bayed for a penalty but surprisingly the center referee sounded his whistle and raced to the attacker only to book him for diving to the clear disbelief of neutrals and to the relief of the static Dynamo defence and coaches.

Early in the second half though, Royal force took the lead from close range following a pass from outside the box which ended in a simple tap in inside the six yard box. There were questions marks of an offside but the referee and his assistant saved away the appeals of Dynamos defenders.

Just as Royal Force were coasting to victory in regulation time, a defensive slip up allowed Ikpomwonsa to race away and fire a thumping shot to equalise for Dynamo in the dying minutes of the game.

Dynamo thought they had a chance to win it in normal time seconds later when a Royal Force defender appeared to have clearly stopped a goal-bound move with his hands but the referee maybe was not brave enough to give a penalty at such time in the game and off the whistle went a few minutes later for the lottery of penalty shootout which Royal Force won 7-6.

In the other match of the day Shola FC made easy work of their second round game against FC De Leo, racing to a two-goal lead in the first five minutes of the match courtesy of a sharp finish inside the box by Dennis Oki and a penalty scored by

Akhele Zion following a rough play inside the box by a passive-looking defender of De Leo.

Zion added the third goal early in the second half before De Leo pulled one back a few minutes later.

Ernest Ojelum scored his third goal of the FA Cup with a brilliant finish to make it 4-1 before De Leo scored a consolation goal for De Leo in the late minutes of the game to bring some bit of respectability to the scoreline in a game that was well dominated by a sweet-playing and young Shola side.

Shola FC head coach Ifeanyi Thomas told Daily Sports after the match that he was very satisfied with the performance of his players.

“The guys are developing very well and seeing them give a good account of themselves makes us in the coaching department of this club very proud,” Thomas said.

Shola FC are said to be sponsored heavily by an ex player of the club Orji Okonkwo who was a member of the Chile 2015 Golden Eaglets squad that won the cadet World Cup that year.

Orji is currently contracted to Italian Seria A side Bologna.

•Photo shows Shola FC of Benin City head coach Ifeanyi Thomas

Source Daily Sports

Posted May 13, 2018

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