Perfect for Football” was certainly the ideal way to describe the conditions at Wednesday’s GTBank Masters Cup Semi-Final matches.
The game saw eight of the best teams in this year’s competition square up against each other at the ultimate arena with a finely manicured artificial turf and seating space for multiple hundreds of passionate supporters.
From the early parts of the day, the Campos Mini Stadium geared up to host four juggernaut ties in what promised to be an enthralling affair; and it definitely did not disappoint.
Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School, Itire 0-0 PENS (4-5) Greensprings School, Lekki
The match between the girls of Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School, Itire and GreenSprings school, Lekki kicked off this year’s Semi-final. It was an understandably nervous and laborious display by both teams in which chances were rare and far between which ensured that the scoreline remained locked to nil-nil even after injury time.
The match had to be decided by penalties through which Greensprings came out victorious in a (5-4) shootout victory.
Leadforte-Gate College, Lekki 1-0 Queens College, Yaba
The second Female match of the day saw a repeat of last year’s Final tie where the reigning Champions; Leadforte Gate College took on five-time winner Queen’s College. Last year’s tie appeared to have sparked a newfound rivalry between the two schools and this was clearly apparent just in the intensity at which the match was played.
The teams remained locked level-scoreless as the match headed towards the final whistle with Queens College’s number 11 Uzokwe Chidalu culpable of missing perhaps the single big chance created by both teams.
With each bench beginning to already prepare for a dreaded penalty shootout, Leadforte Captain, Chinazor Okpala (no.13) came up with the goods and sealed the victory with the most emphatic of efforts; scoring a direct freekick into the top-left corner from 25yards!! A truly outstanding effort!
Anwar-Ul-Islam Model College, Agege 1-0 Greensprings School, Lekki
The third match and first male match saw Anwar-Ul-Islam Model College face off against GreenSprings School, Lekki whose male team was also in the semi-final.
Anwar-Ul-Islam started the match on the front foot and never really relinquished control as captain; Suleiman Yusuf (no. 4) dictated all the play from the heart of the midfield even scoring a headed effort from a corner in the 53rd minute that eventually turned out to be the winner.
Greensprings never really got going in this match as Ansar-Ud-Deen stifled their creative stars closing off the midfield, cutting off their time on the ball while playing some very thrilling football on the other end.
It really should’ve been four!!
Eko Boys High School, Mushin 2-0 Kings College, Lagos
Eko Boys arrived at the venue as usual with their horde of supporters as boisterous and passionate as their team is skilled. Both the players and their fans definitely put on a show against King’s College (whose supporters themselves commanded a high number of seats but were definitely not as loud) in the last match of the Semi-Finals.
Similar to the second female tie, this was a match that many experts had tipped for the finals; a showdown between perhaps the two best teams of the competition; the crème de la crème.
Eko Boys came into the match as statistically the best team in the competition scoring the second-highest number of goals (22) and conceding the least (4) en route to seven (7) straight victories. They faced reigning Champions; King’s College who were the competitions top scorers hitting twenty-four (24) goals on the way to six victories and a draw.
Only one team could take that ticket to the final and Eko Boys made sure to secure those seats for their supporters by coming out victorious in that Goliath tie.
Eko Boys deservedly took the lead in the 39th minute when no. 15 Babtunde Rokeeb bundled in a rebounded effort after an earlier save from the King’s College Goalkeeper.
The goal would have come as a relief to Eko Boys who had missed two gilt-edged chances; had another effort to strike the cross-bar and seen a goal from King’s College debatably ruled out for offside. King’s College rallied after conceding and continued to threaten with isolated skirmishes but allowed no 17 Abisegun Mojeed to race through on the 50th minute and bury an effort in the bottom left corner to make sure it will be Eko Boys that will have the chance to play the match that will ultimately decide who will lift the Masters Cup.
Fela is the Co-founder of MediaVision Limited .
