Match report: Wikki Tourists 0-0 Enyimba

Enyimba were held to a scoreless draw by Wikki Tourists in Bauchi as the first round of the NPFL season rounding off on Sunday evening.

In spite of an extreme temperature at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, the opening exchanges never lacked energy and grit, although clear cut chances were hard to come by.

Playing without injured top scorer Victor Mbaoma, Finidi George made only minor tweeks to his set up, starting Adekunle Adeleke in a rather unfamiliar holding midfield role. Sadiq Abubakar was also restored to the start list while Pascal Eze, Oluwatosin Adegbite and Samuel Stone all kept their places.

Fleet-footed right back Bilal Yakubu was Enyimba’s most threatening attacking channel in the early stages, although his final deliveries were more often cut out.

The marauding right back played in Ekene Awazie who missed his strike at the edge of the box before Stone curled his ball just wide off the upright following a swift attacking move from the left.

The hosts had a real feel of the other goal-mouth towards the interval when Manu Garba’s strike following a cross from the right was blocked by fast-rising center back Tosin Adegbite.

Olorunleke Ojo, who was a second half substitute for the injured John Noble, pulled off three decent saves as the hosts had a surged in the latter stages; but it was Enyimba that came closest to snatching a late win as Sadiq Abubakar’s strike came off the upright with ten minutes left.