Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia secured a second consecutive home victory in the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League season beating Katsina United 1-0 at the Umuahia Township Stadium
Somiari Alalibo was the hero as his second half strike condemned Katsina United to their second defeat of the season.
Katsina United parading three former Abia Warriors players — Philip Ogwuche, Richard Christopher and Joshua Enaholo (goalkeeper) — gave the Warriors a run for their money in the first half, but it was the latter that ensured that the damage was down to the one-goal deficit with his brilliant saves.
Umu Chineke would have gone into the lead inside five minutes, when Yakub Hammed’s freekick was brilliantly parried by Enaholo, demonstrating sharp reflex to deny the Warriors’ number 13.
Seven minutes later, Chindi Merpring lost a glorious chance as his hasty effort inside the box went agonizingly wide.
Emeka Obioma, making his first start of the campaign, came close to scoring via free-kicks in the 20th and 40th minutes, yet again, the former Abia Warriors goaltender stood firm.
On resumption of play in the second half, Samuel Ogunjimi came on for Casmir Azubuike, as the Warriors went in search of a goal.
It paid off after six minutes of restart as Taheer Abubakar’s corner-kick met Somiari Alalibo inside the box, and the former Enyimba captain was allowed time and space to control the ball and hit the roof of the net to put the home side in front.
Katsina United’s bench made a wholesale substitution to get back into the game. However, it was the Warriors that nearly extended their lead instead.
Emeka Obioma, who has been brilliant so far in the game, teed up his strike partner, Merpring, inside the opponents’ vital area, but instead of going for the kill at once, the lanky striker decided to control the ball first, and the opponents rallied immediately to block his effort.
That would have proved costly because five minutes later, Odah Okiemute rushed off his line to block a one-on-one effort before making a catch to deny the opponents.
With four minutes of additional time signalled by the fourth official, second half substitute Israel Joseph, making his first home debut, nearly doubled the lead for the Warriors in the second minute of the additional time, but his curling effort went narrowly wide to the chagrin of the Warriors’ bench.
Up next for Abia Warriors is a CAF Confederation Cup match against Djoliba AC of Mali at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (The Nest of Champions), Uyo, on Sunday, September 21, 2025.