Lethargic Enyimba Held At Home By Wikki Tourists

Lethargic Enyimba Held At Home By Wikki Tourists By Admin Former league champions Enyimba were made to pay for a lethargic performance as they were held 1-1 by Wikki Tourists in a Match Day 19 game at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba on Sunday. Enyimba took the lead from the penalty spot in the 13th minute through defender Ifeanyi Anaemena but Wikki’s young winger Promise Damala struck on the hour mark to earn Aliyu Zubairu’s side a precious point which could mean much in their bid to avoid relegation. Enyimba head coach Usman Abd’Allah made minimal changes to the side team that prosecuted their last two league games against Rangers and Rivers United; reinstating Ghanaian goalkeeper Fatau Dauda in place of Theophilus Afelokhai. Wikki on their own were without influential star Abba Umar which meant that his namesake Mubarak Umar and Damala make rare starts for the side as they picked themselves up from Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at home to MFM FC. With games held every four days since last Sunday, both teams showed signs of being weighed down by their travelling exertions early in the game as they put up a laborious, sometimes disjointed showing in front of a scanty crowd (by Aba standards). The hosts were however presented with an opportunity to get a lead they didn’t have to labour for in the 13th minute after referee Wale Adeniyi pointed to the spot after Amiru Ahmad inadvertently handled the ball while making a tackle inside the box. Anaemena duly obliged from 12 yards, sending Wikki goalkeeper Adamu Abubakar the wrong way. Wikki had their first sniff of goal in the 25th minute when striker Mohammed Suleiman teed up Damala but the winger’s effort from 20 yards went over. The cheeky backheeled pass from Suleiman was his last contribution of the game as he limped off from the hamstring shock of the skill. Enyimba would then have two decent chances to increase their lead but allowed the opportunities pass. First, Abdulrahman Bashir freed Thomas Zenke down the left and collected the return square pass from the winger but he fired wide from 14 yards with Adamu wrong-footed. Moments later, Bashir brilliantly set up Beninoise star Jean-Marie Guera after a mini-break away but the attacking midfielder’s first time effort was saved by Adamu with Wikki captain Abdullahi Musa dealing with the rebound. The visitors then gradually clawed their way back into the game but substitute Manu Garba’s spectacular bicycle kick to Ahmed Jimoh’s cross flew agonisingly wide with three minutes left to play in the half. At the other end, Stanley Dimgba ended a kinking solo run with a tame effort which Adamu had no problems dealing with.