Cyprian Onyekachi may have scored the
match winner for UBA to end Skye Bank’s four year’s dominance of the
football event of the Nigeria Bankers Games but the tournament hero was
goalkeeper Shola Thomas.
A late second half goal by UBA’s Cyprian
Onyekachi ended Skye Bank’s four-year dominance of the football event
of the Nigeria Bankers Games recently.
The final day of the Games had only the
football event, which began with a novelty match between NBG Hall of
Fame members and online shopping firm, Jumia. The NBG side won 1-0.
UBA’s defence curtailed the dangerous
Skye Bank forwards Ismaila Sani, Seun Mohammed, Shola Akintayo and
Mustafa Abdulraheed, keeping them quiet for most of the first half.
Apparently buoyed by the presence of
their chairman, Tony Elumelu, the UBA squad showed early intent as they
pushed to reclaim the title they lost to Skye Bank in 2011.
Martins Udeaja’s free kick cannoned of
the cross bar with Skye Bank goalkeeper Rasheed Oshun beaten.
Onyekachi’s free kick goal few minutes to the end of the game brought
more drama to the final game. Skye Bank got a penalty and they were
hoping to level score but goalkeeper Shola Thomas had other ideas. The
keeper guessed right to foil the resultant goal-bound kick.
It was UBA’s fifth football title, which
equaled Skye Bank’s record. Thomas was voted Best Goalkeeper while
another UBA player, Emeka Okolie, was voted Best Defender. Other award
winners were Bamidele Odunuga of ECOBANK (Best Midfielder), Seun
Mohammed of Skye Bank, who went home with the highest goal scorer and
Most Valuable Player awards respectively.
Fidelity Bank emerged as the overall winners of the event while Diamond Bank and Skye Bank placed second and third respectively.
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