Adoration FC narrowly edged Ingas FC, an amateur club side, 4-2 on penalties in the ongoing FA Cup competition in Enugu.
The cracker which ended in a 1-1 draw at full-time, saw the Nigeria National League (NNL) side opening the score chart through David Ijeh.
However, the amateur side Ingas FC fought back after the close of the first half to restore the game to parity 23 minutes into the second half through Jerry Nebeuwa.
Both sides, in the course of trying to take an advantage of the game, made several changes to affect the scoreline until the game ended, resulting in penalty shootouts which Adoration FC won 4-2.
In the other match of the day, Stars Plus FC of Ngwo defeated NNL club Giant Brillars FC 3-2 on penalty kicks after 90 minutes of a goalless draw, according to a report by the News Agency.
Adoration FC and Stars Plus FC will face each other on a date yet determined by the State FA.
Meanwhile, the winners of the matches will contest the title with Rangers International FC, who are on standby to emerge the winners of the oldest competition in Nigeria.
After their match, Adoration FC’s technical adviser, Ency Enve, said his team found the game difficult as their opponents did not allow them to play their usual game style.
“We played against an underdog side. That was why we found it difficult. But we thank God we won at last, in a hard way,” the excited technical adviser expressed.
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“I told the players that the match would be difficult because Ingas FC wanted to make a statement as every club wanted to reach the final.
“But, while our opponents dominated the game, we showed composure and maturity, and that made the difference,” Enve added.
Furthermore, Enve noted that his team was determined to go one more step by beating whichever team are their next opponent.
“This is the first match of the ongoing competition I watched, and it was a difficult game for us. Now, I know why the competition is called (the) ‘Challenge Cup’. It has no respect for any team, no matter the club’s status in Nigeria Football,” Enve explained.
