By Daily Sports on August 23, 2018

The second edition of the Gen. David Ejoor national grassroots football tournament has got off to a thrilling start in Ugheli,Delta state.

The tournament is named after the former Chief of Army Staff and first military governor of the defunct Midwest state who is an iconic figure in Delta state.

In day one of the competition, Benin Warriors FC of Benin City defeated 3rd Chasers FC of Abuja 1-0 in a hotly contested match played at the Anglican Girls Grammar School (AGGS) field.

The match was the highlight of the day as the two teams played an interesting game of quick passing football laced with a aggressive high-pressing from the two sides.

3rd Chasers threatened in the early minutes as they pinned the Warriors back and hit some long range misiles of shots, with the Warriors defence line scrambling to block.

The Warriors gradually grew into the game and started to apply a well-coordinated high press,with their 3-4-3 shape to disrupt the rhythm of the patient build up play from from the back that the FCT boya were applying.

This worked well for Benin Warriors as the pendulum of the game swung to their favor.

Jeremiah Salami and Friday Amadin in central midfield for the Warriors began to dictate affairs with their high technical skills.

Thrice the Warriors came close with agonising near misses from the electrifying strike force of Anayo Iwuala,Aristo and captain Desmond Oji.

The deadlock was broken in the second half when Oji sprung from deep to beat the 3rd Chasers goalkeeper who had spilled a shot from Aristo in the 57th minute o play.

Frim that moment,the Warriors continued to press for a killer second,thrilling with their quick pass and move football.

The Warriors backline was well marshalled by Pius Ogieva and Daniel Odu who stood firm and showed remarkable calculation and coordination to foil whatever 3rd Chasers had to offer.

Late into the game it should have been 2-0 as a beautiful cross from Emmanuel Anayo Iwuala (Edo state league highest scorer,2016) was misdirected narrowly wide by a glancing header from Oji.

The game ended 1-0 with Benin Warriors ending the first round of group on top of the table after the other two teams in the group, Morning Stars FC of Anambra and Methodist FC of Kaduna ended tjeir encounter 2-2.

In the second day of the competition and highly entertaining tie saw Musa Hara FC of Daura,Katsina state,which is the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari, lose 2-4 to Rimi FC of Niger state.

A ding dong first half ended scoreless but the second half sprung to life quite early As Musa Hara opened scoring through a penetrating pass from midfield. Rimi replied in devastating fashing with three goals in 10 minutes before Musa Hara scored a second from a headed free kick to set up a nervous finish to the game for Rimi.

However a penalty was awarded to the Niger boys late into the game after Musa Hara's goalkeeper had a rush of blood in the head and outstretched his legs carelessly to halt an advancing Rimo attacker.

The resultant penalty settled the nerves of Rimi who are on top of group B with 6 points.

•Photo shows Benin Warriors line up

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 23, 2018

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