Vengeance is Ours, Vows Akwa United

BY MFON PATRICK

One thing that may likely be on the minds of Akwa United players when they file out against ABS of Ilorin in an NPFL match day 21 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium. They will be to seek revenge for the humiliating defeat they suffered on the opening day of the season.
Stone Evbuomawan, Mohammed Mohammed, and Abubakar Chindo were the scorers on January 15 when ABS beat Akwa United 3-1 in Ilorin.
The result remains Coach Maikaba’s worst defeat in the league this season and the only time the team conceded three goals in a match.
The Promise Keepers have since bounced back to winning ways and are steadily moving up to the top of the table with 30 points from 20 matches.
Akwa United who are unbeaten at home after ten matches this season would be full of confidence when they host eighth-placed ABS at the Nest of Champions, having picked 10 points from a possible 12 in their last four home matches.
Although the Promise Keepers will miss the services of some key players like top scorer Alhassan Ibrahim who travelled with the national team for a friendly, and Aremu Afeez who was sent off against MFM in Lagos last week, but Coach Maikaba whose players are struggling for a starting shirt, has a full strength team to chose from for the match.
Three players that started the match in Ilorin have since been released by the club with five quality players brought in, some of whom may likely make their home début on Sunday against ABS who have endured poor results on their away trips.
With the 2015 Federation Cup champions challenging for the NPFL title and hoping to play continental football next season, the Uyo based team will go all out for the three maximum points at stake.
Fans will be looking up to Ubong Friday, Christian Pyagbara, Musa Newman, Moses Ebiye, Cyril Olisema, Harmony Ikande and Gabriel Okechukwu to find the back of the net to ensure the much needed victory.
A win for Coach Maikaba’s team will move them to 33 points from 21 matches and possibly a place among the top four teams on the log.