In a thrilling encounter at the Pantami Stadium, Doma United secured a 1-0 victory against Plateau United, propelling them to the 2nd position on the NPFL log after match day nine. The lone goal came in the 22nd minute when Kazeem Abdulrafiu feigned in Andrew Majalisa’s shot, stunning the visitors despite their early dominance.
Plateau United started the game with authority, dominating possession in the initial twenty minutes. However, Doma United capitalized on an opportunity, with Kazeem’s flick beating the goalkeeper. Initially credited to Majalisa, it was later revealed that Kazeem’s crucial touch changed the direction of the ball.
Plateau United earlier had a golden chance to take the lead in the 16th minute, but Haruna Aliyu’s timely header off the line denied Kingdom Osayi’s net from being breached, ensuring the goalkeeper’s impressive record of 6 clean sheets out of 9 games remained intact.
In his post-match reaction, Doma United’s head coach, Akinade Onigbinde, commended his team for their commitment and perseverance, especially considering the demanding schedule of playing five games in 13 days. “The game wasn’t easy; right from the first half, our opponents came out searching for goals, but our boys were up to the task,” he stated. “It is not easy to play 5 matches in 13 days. I really commend my players; they put in a brilliant performance just to ensure that we get all three points.”
Akinade, however, expressed regret over missed opportunities, saying, “We played a very good game, and our players performed very well. It is just that we created some chances but were unable to convert them. As you can see, we had Kazeem return to the team from injury, and unfortunately, Jesam picked up an injury against Enyimba within the week.”
Looking ahead, the Technical Adviser expressed excitement about the upcoming break, stating, “I am happy that now our players will have a rest. They will rest on Monday, and on Tuesday, we resume training. Hopefully, we can pick something out of the game as well. Remo is a very good side; let’s see how it goes.”
After playing five consecutive games at home in Gombe, Doma United will hit the road for the first time in over two weeks as they gear up for their match day ten encounter with Remo Stars in Ogun State.