ABUJA – The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday defeated Hot FM 2 – 1 to zoom into the final of the five-a-side football competition of the 2017 FCT SWAN Week.
The NAN team qualified for the semifinals on Friday after also edging out NTA Channel 5, 2-1
The team won after a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation time and scoring in the sudden-death penalty shootout of the match.
The semifinal match played at the Area Three Football pitch saw Azibatonye Puyate opened scoring in the early minutes of the first half before Okpanachi Atojoko added a second in the second half.
Hot FM however scored a consolation goal through Chijioke Okoye in the closing minutes of the game.
Speaking after the semifinal match win, Atojoko, the captain of NAN team, said the game was a difficult game, adding the better the team however won at the end of the day.
“It was a pulsating encounter as both teams gave their all to win the game.
“But we were tactically and technically better than our opponents and that was the key to our victory.
“We are now in the finals and expect nothing less than the cup,” he said.
In the other semifinal match also played on Saturday, NTA Headquarters beat Cool/Wazobia/ NaijaInfo team to qualify for the finals.
Femi Adebayo opened scoring in the first half, before Cool/Wazobia/ NaijaInfo team equalised through Amoo Lawal on resumption of the second half.
However NTA Headquarters made through 2-1 through Umar Haruna but Cool/Wazobia/ NaijaInfo team, pegged them back again through Lawal.
NTA Headquarters had the final say with a brilliant shot from a free kick late in the game through the man-of-the-match, Haruna to hand his team a 3-2 victory and a ticket to the final of the football competition.
Aliu, the Captain of Cool/Wazobia/ NaijaInfo team, in his post match comments expressed disappointment at the officiating of the match.
“We didn’t deserve to lose the match.
“The referee killed the game with an illegal free-kick awarded to our opponents and unfortunately that was the decider,” he said.
The final match of the five-a-side football competition will take place on Thursday.
Competition in table tennis and draughts is billed to begin on Monday.
