Enyimba International FC of Aba were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Bayelsa United in Aba on Sunday in NPFL matchday 30 action.
Ekene Awazie scored for Enyimba in the seventh minute. Ifeanyi Ogba equalised for Bayelsa in the ninth, ensuring the first half ended level.
After the match, Enyimba coach Stanley Eguma expressed disappointment, saying the game didn’t go as planned, in spite of their thorough preparations to secure a home victory.
“Sometimes, it’s like that. You plan to win but things turn out differently. We should have wrapped up the game in the first half.
“We had many chances but failed to convert them. That boosted our opponents’ morale, and they held on for the rest of the 90 minutes,” he said.
Eguma also claimed the centre referee denied Enyimba two penalties, which he believes affected the final outcome of the match.
Bayelsa United coach Ladan Bosso said his side aimed for a positive result and had gathered useful information about Enyimba’s playing style beforehand.
“In the first half, we absorbed pressure. In the second, Enyimba’s defenders struggled, and we executed our game plan effectively.
“The players stuck to our tactics. Although we didn’t get all three points, everything went as planned,” Bosso said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Enyimba remain eighth with 43 points, while Bayelsa United stay 15th with 38 points after 30 matches.