Niger Tornadoes Edge Enyimba 2-1 in NPFL Opener.
Niger Tornadoes Edge Enyimba 2-1 in NPFL Opener.
Enyimba head coach, Emmanuel Deutsch, has expressed satisfaction with his players’ performance despite the team suffering a 2-1 defeat to Niger Tornadoes in their opening fixture of the new Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
The Aba-based club began their campaign on a disappointing note after losing to Niger Tornadoes at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna on Sunday.The hosts took the lead shortly before halftime when Aliyu Goyi successfully converted a penalty in the 40th minute. Enyimba, however, responded strongly after the interval as they looked to get back into the contest.
Their efforts eventually paid off in the 71st minute when Wonah Williams headed home the equalising goal, bringing the visitors back into the game.With both sides pushing for victory, the match remained closely contested. However, Niger Tornadoes eventually regained the advantage seven minutes before the final whistle through Michael Olalusi, who scored what proved to be the decisive goal.
Despite the defeat, Deutsch commended his players for their overall display and insisted that losing the opening match should not be considered a setback to their league ambitions.The Enyimba manager said the encounter was a very good game and noted that he was particularly impressed with the team’s performance following a demanding pre-season schedule.
Losing the opening match does not mean you have lost the league. I think it was a very good game,” Deutsch said in comments released by the club.For the game, totally, I’m impressed because the pre-season was very hard.Enyimba will now shift their attention to their next NPFL fixture, where they are scheduled to face Doma United.
The Aba giants will hope to secure their first points of the season and quickly recover from their narrow defeat to Niger Tornadoes.
