The U-17 team of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia were today forced to a goalless draw by their Rangers Football Club of Enugu counterparts in the final game of the NPFL U-17 Youth League South East zonal qualifiers played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
It was a spirited effort from the young Warriors who battled like Trojans to deny tournament favorites the maximum points.
Whatever game plan introduced by the technical crew worked perfectly as Abia Warriors made life difficult for the home side. Even their danger man Igwilo was well policed by Warriors’ impregnable defence.
Chances were far and wide in the first 45 minutes and the second period took a more cautious approach from both sides.
However, in the 76th minute, Rangers were handed an opportunity to take the lead by the centre referee after he adjudged Chimaobi Ikedieze to have brought down Rangers’ Igwilo in the 18 yard box. And the striker picked himself up and ballooned the ball over the cross bar, to the joy of Abia Warriors and distraught to Rangers.
Goalless it ended as the centre referee brought proceedings to a close.
With the result, Rangers FC topped the table with seven points, followed by Heartland FC with six points. Abia Warriors came third with two points, and Enyimba occupied the bottom of the table with just one point.
