It was a partly sunny Wednesday morning with showers, as Ughelli Rovers Football Club keeps it late to claim a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Itamah Football Academy in the New Year Mega Lottery Nationwide League One (NLO) Division One 2025 Season Opener at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Delta State.
This was the second game of Matchday One at Asaba Centre 1 and the first official meeting between the two teams. It was a tightly contested encounter that was largely decided by a moment of brilliance in the 81st minute from substitute Osuya Blessing, who rammed the defense to bury the ball beyond the goalkeeper and secured all three points.
The game started with both sides being cautiously intent, while struggling to create clear-cut chances as the first half ended scoreless. Both backlines were on high alert and quite disciplined at curtailing each other’s frustrated attempts on goal.
Despite a fairly shared possession, either sides lacked the final spark into the break, with both shot-stoppers comfortably handling all attacking efforts.
As the second half began, the game saw the two teams eager to break the deadlock, as the coaches turned to their reserves for recruitment.
There comes the peak of the match, with introduction of Osuya Blessing in the 66th minute, injecting fresh energy into the Ughelli Rovers’ attack.
The turning point came fifteen minutes later when Itamah FA’s defense was pierced with a precise, sneaky through-pass from midfielder Oderuviesan Vincent to set up the newly-introduced forward with an easy-peasy edge.
Osuya, darted past his markers with blistering pace and agility, and calmly latched a right-footed shot into the back of the net to give the Eguono V’Ovwian Boys the lead with nine minutes to stoppage time.
The Sapele-based club side almost got an equalizer in the dying minutes, but was stopped by captain and goalkeeper Efe Bartholomew, ensuring a clean sheet and a win to kickstart the campaign with.
The victory builds on Ughelli Rovers’ recent outings, making it a fourth victory in last five games and as a morale booster looking ahead of their next NLO fixture against arch-rivals Isoko United at the same venue in six days’ time.
Speaking to Platinum News after the match, an elated man of the moment couldn’t hide his joy at making an instant impact in his NLO debut for the club.
“Coming off the bench, you know you have to make something happen. When Vincent played that pass, I just trusted my pace and went for it. Seeing the ball hit the net was a dream come true, especially in such a big stage as this.
“My teammates made it easy for me. The coach believed in me so I had to take my chance, and I’m glad I did. It’s my first appearance in the NLO, and to start with a goal feels unreal,” the Ughelli-born talent beamed.
