’Temporary’ Niger Tornadoes Left Shell-Shocked After 70th Minute Strike at Rival’s Den
By SCM Sports Reporter
ENUGU, NIGERIA — The travails of Niger Tornadoes’ stadium woes continued to bite deep yesterday after a solitary strike from Kenechukwu saw them go down 1-0 to Enugu Rangers in a bruising NPFL encounter.
It was an away day in more ways than one for the ‘Ikon Allah Boys,’ who were forced to play the fixture in the cauldron of their rivals’ Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu — a venue known affectionately as “The Cathedral.”
The Nigerian Professional Football League tie was a tight affair until the 70th minute when a moment of brilliance sliced through the tension.
Kenechukwu, Rangers’ talisman, delivered the fatal blow, smashing home a goal that sent the packed home crowd into raptures.
The result leaves Tornadoes, who have been forced to bounce between stadiums like Bako Kontagora, Lafia City, and Kaduna in recent times due to facility issues, facing yet more home-sweet-home hell.
The nomadic club, who have struggled for stability on and off the pitch, simply could not weather the storm in the Rangers’ lair.
Niger Tornadoes went into the match with high hopes of causing an upset, but the intimidating atmosphere of the ‘Cathedral’ proved too much, leaving them licking their wounds after a solid defensive display was undone by a flash of class.
The win sees Enugu Rangers continue their climb up the NPFL table, proving that when the chips are down, there really is no place like home.
