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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Former Super Eagles coach and ex-international Finidi George did not disappoint his fans, as he found the back of the net twice in a three-goal thriller novelty match against the Hope Rising Stars football team in Ogbor Uvuru, Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, at the weekend.
His teammate, Daniel Amokachi, “the Bull”, got the third goal in the dying minutes of the first half. All the goals of the Super Eagles team, captained by Segun Odegbami, were scored in the first half of the game.
Finidi’s goals reminded his fans of his usual dazzling performances as he got a loose ball from Amokachi and dribbled the goalkeeper before slotting it into the net. His second goal was an assist from Mutiu Adepoju; he made a solo run with it and mesmerised the goalkeeper before scoring.
Amokachi got the third goal of the match with a nice cross from Victor Ikpeba and a good shot that left the goalkeeper dazed at the centre of the post.
The home team took the pressure to the legends afterwards, and their effort paid off when the captain of the team, Success Akagburuonye, snatched a loose ball from Moses Kpakpor inside the penalty box and had a great shot to give his team the consolation goal.
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Odegbami, who came in the second half of the match, complemented the efforts of Finidi, but his efforts were not enough to give them another goal. Samson Siasia, Ifeanyi Udeze, Sylvanus Opara, Austin Eguavoen, Uche Okechukwu and Temile also proved their worth in the game. Ike Shorunmu was in goal for the legends.
Speaking after the match on his consolation goal, an excited Akagburuonye said, “I feel accomplished; it’s a dream come true, I’ve been aspiring to meet these people to bring them for my people to touch them with my pillar of support (referring to his wife), Ugwudi na Alaigbo. My dreams came true, (which is) to score Ike Shorunmu, and I did today.
Another member of his team, Alex Ubaka Achebe, who flew in from London because of the match, has allotted the man of the match to Akagburuonye. “I came in as a second-half substitute. In football, man of the match is leadership, what he does in the field, not by how many touches or runs, so the man of the match is the celebrant, Chief Akagburuonye; in the first attempt and the second attempt, he scored.”
Finidi, relishing his goal, said, ‘It’s a novelty match, and we enjoyed ourselves. We still have the knowledge, but the fitness is not there. Those qualities you will not lose; it’s just fitness that goes away. If I get those opportunities again, definitely I will score.”
The novelty match was in honour of the 60th birthday of Chief Success Akagburuonye, billionaire estate developer.
