Enyimba 2-2 Remo Stars: Elephants settle for draw on opening day

Enyimba opened their participation in the NPFL Championship Playoff with a 2-2 draw against Remo Stars at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Saturday.

The People’s Elephant looked on course to a win until captain Junior Ndukwu levelled scores with a late goal from a freekick situation in a nail biting fixtures that had all four goals coming in the second half.

It was Enyimba who slung the first shot of what would turn out to be a feisty contest when Fatai Abdullahi’s effort bounced off the bar in the fourth minute. That action only raised the curtain as the teams threw themselves at each other afterwards, with Philip Odubia hitting the base of the upright for Remo while Olalekan Adebayo also tested the Enyimba keeper, Djeri Bassa.

in spite of the absence of goals in the first half, the game had no signs of caginess and the floodgates eventually opened up in the 60th minute when Enyimba’s academy graduate, Adiele Eriugo, kept his calm in the box to finish into the bottom right after a good work from Emeka Obioma on the right.

Remo got their leveller in the 76th minute when substitute Junior Lokosa lurked in the box to tap in from point-blank range with only his first kick of the game.

While Emeka Obioma quickly restored Enyimba’s lead from the penalty spot after Chijioke Mbaoma was fouled, the Sky Blues that the spoils were shared as Junior Nduka struck the net with a low freekick three minutes into added time.