17th February, 2020
Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi on Sunday humiliated visiting Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi 4-0 at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
The Match Day 20 fixture was characterised by rough play, with many players getting booked.
Manu Garba opened scoring two minutes into the game, with the hosts doubling their advantage through Idris Guda in the 24th minute of play after missing several goal chances.
In the 56th minute of play, Garba scored the match’s third goal while Guda scored the fourth goal in the 72nd minute after converting a free-kick by Ajala Olushola.
Lobi Stars had started strongly but lost many scoring chances and steam as the game progressed.
In a post-match interview, the Technical Adviser of Wikki Tourists, Usman Abdallah, commended the efforts of his players for winning the match.
“The match is a morale-booster for the team, though there is still a lot needed of them.
“We still have some deficit to make up as we started badly, and the team has to make up to forge further.
“You could see the fighting spirit is there and we will try to sustain it during our future home and away matches.
“We have discovered our mistakes and our best players who will salvage the team,” he pointed out.
Gbenga Ogunbote, the Chief Coach of the visiting Lobi Stars, on his part described the match as “unfortunate”.
“It was an unfortunate one. Sometimes you have careless moments in the game and you pay dearly for them, and I believe the first and second goals unsettled my players.
“We will just return home to take the positive aspects from the game and, as it is a temporary setback, we will get back.
“We will see it as a challenge, get the positives from the match and get it right,” Ogunbote said.
He described the match’s officiating as “excellent”.