EFCC FC beats Supreme Court FC

Christian Innocent scored the only goal to help EFCC FC of Abuja kick city rivals, Supreme Court FC out of the 2019 FCT FA Cup at the semi-final stage.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Innocent scored for EFCC FC in the 80th minute to give his team a chance to play in the final match.

In the match played at the Area 3 football pitch, both teams fought hard in the first half but could not convert their first half scoring chances into goal.

Speaking after the match, the coach of EFCC FC, Shola Popo, said his team would go back home and prepare hard for the final match on Sunday.

“I’m happy that we won our semi-final match against Supreme Court FC. They have a good set of players, but we are able to defeat them towards the end of the game.

“We now need to go home and correct our mistakes and prepare for the final match on Sunday,” he said.

On his part, the coach of Supreme Court FC, Henry Haggai, said he was impressed with the performance of the players even though they lost. “It was a good game. In any match, there are three factors, either you win, lose or draw.

“It’s very painful for us to lose the match at this stage. But we will go back home and prepare well for the next edition where we will regain our title,” he said.

Haggai said he also prepared his team for the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) Division One which begins next month. He added that they would work hard to get promoted to the Nigeria National League (NNL).

Meanwhile, Setraco FC also beat FRSC FC 5-3 on penalties to book FCT FA Cup final.

FRSC FC, a Nigeria National League side, approached the early stages of the first half with nervous display.

The team had dominated the FCT FC Cup in the past and went into the match as clear favourites to reach the final. They had an appeal for penalty dismissed by the referee in the 16th minute when Setraco’s Simon Daniel appeared to have handled the ball in the box, following a cross but nothing was awarded.

Accordingly, Setraco (https://sport.netbet.ng/) came close to breaking the deadlock in the 31st minute when striker Iliyas Omini’s dangerous cross from the right flank was narrowly deflected for a throw-in. But the first real threat of the match came in the 34th minute through a solo run from FRSC’s Phillip Edeh, whose fierce shot was initially spilled by goalkeeper Rotimi Popoola before one of his defenders cleared the ball. Another fine move by Omini at the other end saw the lively striker beat his marker before playing a delicate chip which had beaten FRSC’s goalkeeper, Stephen Azubuike but hit the woodwork.

In added time, Azubike was called to action yet again when he punched a goal-bound ball to safety to deny Setraco. Nothing separated the two sides after the first 45 minutes and although FRSC saw more of the ball, Setraco were more dangerous in front of goal.

Whatever the coach of FRSC told his players at the break proved to have instant impact in the second half as they constantly asked questions at Setraco’s defence. However, it looked to FRSC like one of those days when a team could rue the inability to convert their chances and be clinical in front of goal.

The team wasted at least three clear-cut chances and they almost paid for it when Ayuka Hassan’s free kick for Setraco almost ended at the back of the net but for a fantastic safe by FRSC’s goalkeeper. Setraco held on to force the match into penalty kicks after a barren 90 minutes of football.

The non-league side held their nerves to convert all five penalties, while FRSC missed their second kick to send Setraco to the FCT FA Cup.

An elated Coach Fadeyi Kamarudeen of Setraco FC told the News Agency of Nigeria after the match that the underdog tag on his team before the game helped them.

“My players promised that they will win the game and here we are. You can see that we were more determined even when we knew we were the underdogs.

“It wasn’t an easy game but we had nothing to lose. So we just went out there to enjoy ourselves.” He, however, said that his team would have to work on their finishing and ball retention before the final.

The Coach of FRSC FC, Akinade Onigbinde, said his players were complacent against a resourceful team. “In the first half, they were deadlier than us, despite playing better. I spoke to my players at the break that they shouldn’t underrate our opponents.

“Before they came to terms with that fact, it was too late and you see what happened. We were also too wasteful for such an important match,” he said.