NLO South-West Playoff: Hephzibah SC Defeat Franceex United 4-2 in Thrilling Encounter
Hephzibah Sport Club, popularly known as the Ewa Boyz, kicked off their NLO South-West Playoff campaign on a winning note with a convincing 4-2 victory over Franceex United at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Ewa Boyz wasted no time in asserting their dominance as Adedokun Nicolas opened the scoring in the 9th minute, finishing brilliantly to give Hephzibah SC an early lead. The team’s attacking intent continued to trouble Franceex United, and their efforts were rewarded again in the 20th minute when Idowu Nasif doubled the advantage.
Leading 2-0 at the break, Hephzibah SC appeared to be in complete control of the contest. However, Franceex United responded after the restart through Justin Nworji, who pulled one back in the 50th minute to spark hopes of a comeback.
The Ewa Boyz quickly restored their two-goal cushion in the 58th minute when Innocent Okoro found the back of the net with a composed finish. Franceex United refused to give up and reduced the deficit once more through Kennedy Gabriel in the 65th minute, setting up a tense finish to the encounter.
Despite creating numerous chances and missing several opportunities to put the game beyond doubt, Hephzibah SC remained focused and continued to push forward. Their persistence paid off deep into stoppage time when Kabiru Sodiq scored in the 90+3 minute to seal a deserved 4-2 victory for the Ewa Boyz.
Speaking after the match, Hephzibah SC Head Coach Ogundare Olushola praised his players for their performance but admitted that there is still room for improvement.
“It was an incredible and much-needed victory for us. The players showed great determination, discipline and commitment throughout the game. Although we missed a lot of scoring chances, we got the needed job done. We will go back to the drawing board, correct our mistakes and prepare properly for our next match,” he said.
The victory puts Hephzibah SC in a strong position as they prepare for their next crucial playoff fixture against Ablaze FC on Monday. Buoyed by this impressive result, the Ewa Boyz will be looking to maintain their momentum and continue their push for qualification.