Joshua Enaholo’s heroics help Niger Tornadoes beat El-kanemi Warriors in Nile-Biter
By: TUNDE BOLAJI -MINNA.
Not too comfortable playing “home away from home” in their now adopted ground of Ahmadu Bello Stadium, (ABS) Kaduna
Niger Tornadoes learned three points and two goals at the peril of a hard-fought El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri.
The setting was the NPFL 25 of the ongoing Nigeria professional league at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
According to Information packaged by the Media team of the club led by SWAN Chairman Alhassan Mohammed Kutigi, the home boys earned their first goal through Mohammed, who opened the scoring, and Ahmed’s Family sealed the win with a late penalty to guarantee the team valuable three points.
The match began with a tactical approach, with both teams playing cautiously. Niger Tornadoes, the hosts, employed an all-out attacking strategy, piling pressure on their visitors who absorbed wait for opportunities to launch counterattacks.
The early stages of the match were characterized by few scoring opportunities, but the game intensified midway through the first half, evolving into an end-to-end affair with both teams creating chances and pushing each other.
Mohammed Hussaini, a former player of El-Kanemi Warriors, snatched the lead a little over the half-hour mark when he neatly connected his head to Papa Daniel’s free-kick to power home the first goal of the game.
The visitors launched an assault to get back into the game but proved futile as the referee sounded his whistle for the halftime break.
The second half saw a more balanced approach from both teams, with Niger Tornadoes and El-Kanemi Warriors creating scoring opportunities and searching for a goal.
Tension mounted when Abba Khalid was deemed to have committed a foul in the box, resulting in a penalty for El-Kanemi Warriors. Despite protests from Niger Tornadoes’ players and staff, the referee upheld the decision. With the game poised at 1-0 and only two minutes of regulation time remaining.
Able goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo, with experience, made a crucial double save on the penalty, denying El-Kanemi Warriors an equalizer and preserving Tornadoes’ lead.
Ahmed Family sealed the win for Niger Tornadoes with a penalty kick in added time, scoring after a foul on Rickson Mendos in the box.
This second goal, following Mohammed Hussaini’s earlier strike, ensured a 2-0 victory over El-Kanemi Warriors.
