Kwara United brought Shooting Stars’ impressive eight-game unbeaten streak to a halt, securing a convincing 2-0 victory in their rescheduled Nigerian Premier Football League Matchday 20 clash at the Kwara Township Stadium on Wednesday.
Shooting Stars came into the match in scintillating form, riding not only an eight-game unbeaten run, but also boasting an outstanding defense that had conceded just one goal in their previous eight outings. In contrast, Kwara United’s form had been inconsistent, managing two wins in their last five games.
The game started with both teams creating chances to score, however, the deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute, as Kwara United’s captain, Muhammed Kabiru, rose to meet a pinpoint cross from Ojifinni Abdullahi, heading the ball past the Shooting Stars’ goalkeeper to give his side a 1-0 lead.
Shooting Stars intensified their pursuit to level the scoreline, but Kwara United struck again in the second half, with Ojifinni Abdullahi turning from provider to scorer, netting a brilliant goal that extended the “Harmony Boys'” lead to 2-0.
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In a bid to salvage the game, Shooting Stars’ head coach Gbenga Ogunbote made a series of tactical substitutions, but Kwara United’s defense held firm, enabling the hosts to claim a hard-fought 2-0 victory and bring an end to the “Oluwole Warriors” remarkable unbeaten streak.
The win took Kwara United up to eight on the NPFL table with 32 points in 23 games. On the other hand, Shooting Stars failed to close the gap on league leaders Remo Stars, but they remain second with 40 points in the same number of matches.
The other NPFL fixtures of the day saw Kano Pillars end their winless run by defeating El Kanemi Warriors 2-1. On the other hand, Bendel Insurance moved out from the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over strugglers Enyimba.
Shooting Stars will have the chance to quickly recover from their disappointing loss when they visit Heartland Owerri on Sunday, but before then, Kwara United will host Bayelsa United on Saturday aiming to secure consecutive victories.
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