Akpudje villain, hero as MFM beat Jigawa Golden Stars

Joshua Akpudje in Jersey number 4: celebrates against JGS.

Defender Joshua Akpudje scored at both ends on Wednesday in Lagos as MFM Football Club beat visiting Jigawa Golden Stars of Hadeija 2-1.

Akpudje was both a villain and a hero as he scored both an own goal and a brace before his team could defeat the less-fancied Jigawa Golden Stars FC.

The Match Day 15 fixture in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) was played at the Agege Stadium in Lagos.

Akpudje was at the centre of the game, scoring an own goal in the 30th minute, and then going on to score in the 42nd and 70th minutes from assists by Elijah Akanni.

He, however, put a moment of drama into his situation after scoring with a header to draw his side level following his own goal.

Instead of jubilating, he went to his team’s fans zone to kneel down as a mark of apology.

Speaking after the match, Akpudje said he appreciated the support he got from the fans, hence the need to beg for pardon to cheer the team on.

“The fans are only after our victory. They only want to see us move forward. They take their time to come and watch us.

`When I scored the second goal, I had to apologise to them and tell them that I am sorry for the mistake and also thank them for cheering us up.

“But this is a happy day of my life because we have won the sixth game of the season, and this is my second season in the team. I have never dreamt of this. However, kudos to my teammates,” he said.