Again, Nasarawa United lose as EFCC emerge Unity pre-season champions

EFCC Football Club of Abuja at the weekend were crowned 2022 Champions of the Unity Preseason Tournament held in Abuja.

The tournament ran between October 23 and 29, 2022.

The anti graft team defeated the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Nasarawa United 5-4 on penalties in the final.

The full time scores stood at 1-1.

Masoud Danjuma scored the curtain raiser goal in the 7th minutes, when the Nasarawa United defense line led by Benjamin Federick could not tidy up pass.

Goalkeeper Yinka David fouled an opponent attacker in the process.

The resultant penalty was beautifully tucked in by Danjuma.

Nasarawa United who were runners up in the 2021 edition of the tournament, took the game fully to their opponents on resumption of the second half, and this paid off in the 55th minutes when Joshua John capitalised on another mixed up in the EFCC defense line to score the equalizer.

EFCC scored four of their penalties, while Nasarawa United converted three.

The Unity Preseason final match was attended by various football stakeholders led by the Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu, who is also the Chairman of Enyimba FC, Chairman of NPFL Club Owners, Issac Danladi who is also the Chairman of Nasarawa United, Dominic Iorfa, Vice Chairman of Lobi Stars, Pastor Emeka Inyama Chairman Abia Warriors, Secretary of NPFL Club Owners Alloy Chukwuemeka, who is also the Director of Bukola Babes, Chairman Kogi State FA Isah Suleiman, Vice Chairman of Niger State Football Association Alhaji Yabaji among others.

City FC of Abuja won the fair play trophy, Benjamin Federicks of Nasarawa United won the best player of the tournament for the second year running.

He won the last edition with Simoniben Academy of Kaduna.

Victor Peters of Setraco FC emerged as the highest goal scorer while goalkeeper of Manahaim FC, Ibrahim Raheem Olalekan, emerged as the best.

With this, Nasarawa United have lost the tournament final for the second consecutive time.

The Nasarawa side lost to Plateau United during the maiden edition of the competition in 2021.