By SCM Sport Reporter I Monday, August 31, 2026
BARAU FC kicked off their new season with a sensational statement performance, blowing away Nasarawa United 3-1 in a high-octane encounter that had the fans purring.
It was a proper match of two halves, but when the big moments arrived, Barau’s star players stepped up to deliver pure class. Chief among them was the unplayable Joseph Atule, who dominated proceedings from start to finish, opening the scoring and causing relentless head-aches for the Nasarawa defence.
The host side started on the front foot, taking control early through sheer intensity and sharp movement. Barau controlled 58 percent of total match possession across the ninety minutes, forcing Nasarawa into deep defensive blocks right from the opening whistle.
The pressure paid dividends in the 15th minute when Atule latched onto a defense-splitting pass, kept his cool, and slotted home to make it 1-0.
Nasarawa United refused to roll over easily, biting back in the 20th minute. Against the run of play, striker Abubakar Abdullahi caught the Barau backline sleeping, finishing clinically to bring the scoreline to 1-1.
Nasarawa registered 8 total shots throughout the match, with 3 hitting the target, but Abdullahi’s equalizer was their single moments of real joy. By halftime, the sides walked off deadlocked at 1-1, though Barau already held a heavy 6-2 advantage on corner kicks.
The second half belonged entirely to Barau’s attacking stars. Barau racked up an impressive total of 16 shots on goal, testing the Nasarawa keeper with 7 shots on target.
There was drama in the 65th minute when Atule saw a penalty kick saved, but rather than letting his head drop, the superstar winger turned the screw.
Barau manager Eugene Agagbe pulled off a masterstroke with tactical substitutions, injecting energy into the final third. The sustained pressure finally broke Nasarawa’s resistance in the 78th minute when a frantic goalmouth scramble resulted in Barau regaining a deserved 2-1 lead.
Four minutes later, the moment of the match arrived. Star midfielder Sugau Aliyu picked up the ball outside the penalty box in the 82nd minute and unleashed an absolute rocket into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless and making it 3-1.
Disciplinarily, it was a hard-fought battle with 18 total fouls committed across both teams and 3 yellow cards handed out by the referee, including a booking for Atule during a heated late-game tangle. However, when the final whistle blew, Barau’s superiority was clear to everyone inside the stadium.
Speaking after the match, manager Eugene Agagbe praised the fight and star quality of his players, noting that tactical adjustments made all the difference in sealing a magnificent victory to open the campaign.
