Anas Yusuf’s 25th minute goal was all Nasarawa United needed to scoop all three points off the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League’s leaders, Remo Stars, in the match-day 26 tie on Wednesday afternoon at the Lafia City Stadium.
Left back, Mubarak Hussaini’s dangerous cross into the box was met by the league’s leading goalscorer, Anas, who tucked in the ball into an empty net, his 14th goal of the season.
The Solid Miners held on to the solitary strike till regulation time in the highly anticipated clash watched by the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr. Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe, as well as Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu who boosted the scorer’s morale with the sum of One Hundred Thousand Naira, and Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Alhassan, to strengthen the team’s unrelenting desire to beat the drop zone.
Today’s result means United are now 17th on the log with 30 points from 26 games.
The team will travel to Umuahia, Abia State, for a date with Abia Warriors, on match-day 27, slated for Sunday, 2nd March, 2025, before returning to host Sunshine Stars, a week later, in Lafia.
CAUTION(YELLOW CARD):
Aliyu Abubakar(NAS)44′
Idris Ajiya(NAS)69′
POST-MATCH REACTIONS:
COACH SALISU YUSUF(NAS): “It’s a great result for us today, despite the tight schedules before this game.
“We only had two days to train before this game because we needed to manage the fatigue.
“Within those few days, I tried to imprint my game plans into players.
“We got our goal through a high press. I think the team has great potential to grow.
“We will work on our team cohesion so that the players will understand themselves better.
“We respect Remo Stars as the league leaders, but if you observed very well today, they couldn’t create any goalscoring opportunity throughout the game.
“I am so proud of the performance of the boys today against the league leaders.
“The mandate to me is to rescue the team from being relegated, and I believe that is achievable.”
COACH DANIEL OGUNMOMODE(REM): “We did our best in the game today, but the outcome wasn’t good enough for us.
“Nasarawa United needed the points more than us. They played very well today, and I am still surprised to see them where they are on the league table.
“They gave their best and got what they worked for. We didn’t create so much chances, I think they deserved the win.”
NASARAWA UNITED LINE-UP: Detan Ogundare, Abubakar Abdullahi, Mubarak Hussaini, Chidera Nduka(Victor Collins 59′), Shina Kumater, Garba Mohammed, Utake Emmanuel, Benson Abbey, Anas Yusuf(Peter Eneji 78′), Aliyu Abubakar(Chigoziem Salomon 90+3′), Idris Ajiya(Qamar Adegoke 78′).
UNUSED SUBS: Mohammed Galadima, Kabir Balogun, Ibeh Michael, Abubakar Garba, Habibu Alakija.
CREDIT: Eche Amos (Fellow, CBS), Director of Media, Nasarawa United FC.