Niger Tornadoes clinched a hard-earned victory against Abia Warriors on match day 21 of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), as new recruit Ikenna Offor scored a crucial 76th-minute goal to seal the win, at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
The Niger Tornadoes Boys began the game knowing that only a win could lift them from the bottom of the table and launched an all-out attack in search of an early goal.
Deruo Chima, Nwani Ikechukwu, and Clinton Jephta combined well to trouble the visitors, but goalkeeper Johnson Nmecha’s brilliance denied them the breakthrough.
On the other end, Joshua Enaholo had a quiet first half as the visitors struggled to create meaningful chances.
The second half saw Tornadoes’ technical bench make quick changes, with Bashir Usman and Ikenna Offor coming on to strengthen the attack. However, Abia Warriors’ goalkeeper continued his impressive form, making crucial saves to keep his team in the game.
Persistent pressure from the Niger Tornadoes Boys eventually paid off when Alex Emeka rose high to head home Clinton Jephta’s cross. Ikenna Offor reacted swiftly, stretching his leg to guide the ball into the net, sending the entire stadium into jubilation.
Despite efforts from both sides, no further goals were scored, and Tornadoes secured the much-needed victory, lifting them out of the relegation zone to occupy the 15th place in the league standings.
