By OUR MAN IN THE MUD
IT WAS the big one. The South-South showdown. The Warri Wolves vs. Bendel Insurance clash that promised fireworks but delivered only a damp squib.
In a sun-drenched Ozoro Stadium that was louder than a Saturday night in Peckham, both sides huffed and puffed but couldn’t blow the barn door down. It finished 0-0, a scoreline as flat as a day-old pint of lager.
While the goals were missing, the stars still tried to put on a show for the Delta faithful.
The Wolves’ top dog looked hungry early on. Igbunu, who has been the spark for Hassan Abdallah’s side this season, terrorized the Insurance backline with his pace. He had the best chance of the half, a stinging drive that whistled past the post. Close, but no cigar for the man who’s been Wolves’ lucky charm lately.
All eyes were on the veteran “Benin Arsenal” hitman. Chikatara, the man with more experience than a London black cabbie, showed glimpses of his vintage self.
His hold-up play was top-tier, but he was starved of service. He spent more time wrestling with defenders than testing the keeper.
The Insurance playmaker was the coolest man in the stadium. Solomon tried to pick the lock of the Wolves’ defense with a series of “eye-of-the-needle” passes, but his teammates weren’t on the same wavelength. He’s got the touch of a magician, but tonight, the rabbit stayed firmly in the hat.
The gaffer paced the touchline like a man who’d lost his car keys. He’s praised his boys for their “tactical execution” recently, and while they were solid, they lacked the killer instinct to bury their Benin rivals.
Warri Wolves stay comfortably mid-table, while Bendel Insurance continue their run of being the toughest nut to crack in the NPFL. It wasn’t a classic, but for the purists, it was a masterclass in “thou shalt not pass.”
SUN STAR MAN: Emanuel Igbunu (Warri Wolves) – The only man who looked like he knew where the goal was.
