By Aderonke Ojo
In a lively friendly match at the iconic McCarthy Stadium, Makurdi, Lobi Stars U19 team, guided by coach Stephen Waghbo, humbled visiting Liberty City 4-1, maintaining their unbeaten run.
The match began with both teams showcasing excellent teamwork, leading to end-to-end saves by the opposing goalkeepers.
Lobi Stars U19 goalkeeper, Gbamwuan Aondona, made crucial saves to deny Chimobi Prince and Unongo Fanen, while Liberty City’s Paul Sughter’s agility proved decisive in turning efforts by Johnson Ayati and Ferdinand Adema away from causing early harm.
Half mark, Lobi Stars U19 was awarded a penalty after David Ukeyima handled the ball inside the box. Although Godwin Agbaseni missed the spot-kick, Sesugh Iortyer reacted quickly, squaring the ball for Daniel Agyedani to score the opener with a low drive.
The youngsters held onto the lead tactically, heading into halftime. Liberty City levelled the scoreline from a penalty spot shortly after the restart, as Kaun Abanger finished accurately beyond Aondona following a defensive mishap.
However, Lobi Stars U19 regained momentum, with David Dzever scoring a penalty and later completing a brace with a beautiful finish from midfield following a commanding display at the right flank by Ayati.
Sesugh Iortyer sealed the victory, slotting home the fourth goal in the final minutes, after positioning himself perfectly at the edge of the penalty area.
Head coach Stephen Waghbo praised his team’s performance, saying, “We’re proud of the boys’ performance. They’re giving their best, and that’s making our job easy. We’ll continue to guide them positively.”