Nasarawa United secured a vital 2-0 win over former Nigeria Premier Football League champions, Akwa United, on Sunday evening at the Lafia City Stadium, breathing life into their fight for top-flight survival. The win comes as a huge morale booster for the Solid Miners, who were reeling from a narrow 1-0 loss to Kwara United in their previous league outing.
The match marked the return of fans to the Lafia City Stadium for the first time in over five months, following a provisional approval granted by the league body. The approval came after an appeal by the club's management concerning the stadium ban imposed due to an incident involving fans and Rivers United officials back in December 2024.
Nasarawa United wasted no time asserting their dominance in front of their home supporters. Centre forward Ugochukwu Leonard opened the scoring just two minutes into the encounter, finishing calmly from close range to give the hosts an early advantage.
Despite creating more chances in the first half, efforts from Garba Mohammed, Idris Ajiya, and Anas Yusuf were thwarted by Akwa United’s goalkeeper, Jean Efala, keeping the scoreline at 1-0 going into halftime.
Akwa United’s woes deepened in the 59th minute when defender Endurance Ebedebiri received his second yellow card of the game, reducing the visitors to ten men. The numerical disadvantage further exposed the Uyo-based team’s defensive frailties.
Substitute Garba Abubakar made the most of the opportunity, slotting in the second goal in the 84th minute after a scramble in the Akwa United penalty area. His goal sealed the win and sent the home fans into wild celebration.
Nasarawa United held on firmly to their two-goal lead until the final whistle, securing a win that lifts them to 16th on the NPFL table with 39 points from 32 matches. They now look ahead to another crucial fixture against Plateau United on April 13.
Akwa United, under Coach Kennedy Boboye, slipped into the relegation zone following the defeat. The former champions now face an uphill battle to avoid the drop with just six games remaining in the season.
In recognition of their performance, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, rewarded the team with a sum of one million naira. The commissioner made the announcement immediately after the game, applauding the team's resilience and fighting spirit.
Just last week, the commissioner had similarly awarded the team N750,000 after their 5-2 win over Ijele FC in the President Federation Cup. Hon. Kwanta has consistently shown commitment to the team’s success by offering financial incentives and moral support to spur them to greater heights.
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