The 2018/19 Nigeria Professional Football League (2018/19) started on a barnstorming note on Sunday with many talking points in just six games that held. El-Kanemi’s 1-0 win away to Akwa United dominated discussions especially considering the manner at which it happened: goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo gifting the Northerners the winner.
Quite a lot of analyses have been made on several social media fora as to what could be the intentions of the goalkeeper. What could he be thinking? Or is there anything suspicious of sport betting from the act of the 23-year old goalkeeper?
Well, I was at the stadium for the game and I would like to provide some analysis, based on what I thought happened right inside the stadium and how many people felt about the incident – also with the aid of the video attached.
BACKGROUND
– Akwa United playing 0-0 at home to El-Kanemi in Match Day One after all their impressive signings is a disaster. This was evident before and during the game.
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– Akwa United’s midfield became imbalanced in the second half after an ambitious tactical change by coach Rafael Everton. He substituted centre back Godspower Igudia for winger Ubong Friday thereby drafting Emeka Atuloma, the midfield’s building block to centre back while Cyril Olisema, a winger went to central midfield.
– 90′ Akwa United 0-0 El-Kanemi
Fourth official signals four minutes of additional time.
ANALYSIS
El-Kanemi had kept a very disciplined shape to frustrate Akwa’s attackers. The movement of the ball from Akwa’s back four has also not been very good due to the change highlighted earlier on. Akwa players poured forward but with no particular directions, allowing El-Kanemi some space to break.
“We made some tactical changes if you look at it. When I found out that in the second half that one of my attackers and a midfielder were a little bit down, so I decided to bring in two players with defensive qualities and one young boy – the one that scored the goal – and asked him no matter what, not to come back,” El-Kanemi coach Mohammed BabaGanaru told www.aclsports.com after the game
BUILDUP TO THE INCIDENT
Inside the four minutes added, Ojo made a sweeping clearance in 91st minute. Just like Liverpool’s Allison did against Crystal Palace, Ojo chipped the ball over the onrushing El-Kanemi player (although with his head), raced on to the ball and cleared for his teammates who again lost possession in no time.
The success of the first attempt certainly gave the former Sunshine Stars goalkeeper more courage to charge forward when the next ball came. Don’t you enjoy his chest down (smiles)? Can you also hear (from the video) how the fans were urging him on?
WHERE IT GOES AWRY
In case you don’t know, Ojo used to be a centre forward at Zamfara United before joining Giwa FC as a goalkeeper. He is surely one of the best goalkeepers in the league both in terms of ability and in terms of playing out with the ball – an attribute Akwa’s former coach Abdu Maikaba utilised to the fullest.
However in this case, and from the video above, he went too far with the ball. What could be in his mind? I felt he thought he had the whole space for him to exploit. He saw El-Kanemi players distorted due to that attacking move he intercepted. Unknown to him however, there was El-Kanemi left-back Isaac Giwa – who was absolutely out of the picture when Ojo started his move – to serve as his nemesis.
Compare the picture above to the real time video.
From the picture, Ojo was not looking at Giwa’s direction at all, he decided to take one more touch and BOOM! the fear when he sighted the left back out of nowhere made him panic, lost his footing and ultimately gave the possession away to Abdulrazak Aliyu who played a one-time ball for Ba’akaka Ajikolo.
The rest, as they say is history!
Let’s have your own take if this even makes sense at all?
