The battle for glory in the Abia Governor’s Cup begins again on Monday, January 25, 2021 as four teams nurse the dream of winning the maiden edition of the Abia Governor’s Cup
Four teams: Umuahia South, Umuahia North, Aba South and Ukwa East will play in the semi-finals.
The first semi-final of the tournament is the Umuahia derby between Umuahia North and Umuahia South in what promises to be an exciting encounter. Umuahia South beat Isialangwa 4-3 on penalties to progress to the semi-final while an 81st minute volley from Chinaza Felix sent Umuahia North to the semi-final.
Ukwa East qualified to the semi-final with a slim 1-0 victory over Ohafia in the third quarterfinal through a penalty by Emmanuel Nnadede. Aba South seems to have a flair for dramatic victories. The team came from two goals down to win 3-2 in their round of 16 game and also got a late winner against Isiukwuato in the quarterfinal through an 88th minute freekick from Ebuka Nwokorie
Players to watch:
Fred Gerald (Umuahia South)
The striker gives his team physical presence in the box and is a threat to defenders. His hold-up play and his physical presence in the box gives other players room to thrive. This is clearly seen in the assist he provided to Chukwujekwu in the game against Isialangwa. He held off his marker before laying the pass to the midfielder who wasted no time in firing in a left-footed volley
Chukwujekwu (Umuahia South)
Chukwujekwu is a skillful midfielder who surprisingly wears the no1 shirt for his side. The creative attacking midfielder put almost every foot right in that exciting quarterfinal duel and deservedly got a stunning goal through a volley. He will be pivotal to his team’s attacking formation on the day
Chinaza Felix (Umuahia North)
Chinaza Felix is a good example of who a captain should be. The defender was a rock for his team as they beat Umunneochi 2-1, in a match that has been described as one of the most exciting of the competition. He overlaps and returns in time to protect his territory. He capped his performance on the day with a powerful but heartbreaking volley which sent the swift-attacking Umunneochi packing. He will be a source of inspiration for his side
Emmanuel Nnadede (Ukwa East)
Emmanuel Nnadede has scored four goals in the tournament. He got the tournament’s first hat-trick in the team’s 4-1 spanking of Arochukwu. He got Ukwa East’s lone goal against Ohafia in the quarterfinal. He is a player to watch and can be dangerous in the box
Ebuka Nwokorie (Aba South)
The story of this tournament will not be complete without the drama that Aba South has brought to the competition. Ebuka Nwokorie, an attacking midfielder with vision and creative artistry, has been part of the success story so far. The attacking midfielder scored twice in Aba South’s dramatic 3-2 comeback against Ukwa West in the round of 16. He is a freekick specialist and has scored two important goals through freekicks. The first was a 63rd minute winner against Ukwa West and the second was an 88th minute winner against Isiukwuato. He has formed an understanding with his wingers, especially with Chidiebere Diamond who is a terror on the left side of attack
Chidiebere Diamond (Aba South)
Chidiebere’s pace, trickery and skill is a joy to behold. The powerful left winger got into his strides in the second half of the round of 16 fixture against Ukwa West and was instrumental to his team’s comeback. His 47th minute assist to Chukwunyere Chibuike blazed the trail for the epic comeback. He was also in his best form against Isiukwuato. He was fouled just outside the Isiukwuato box and Ebuka Nwokorie scored the resultant freekick and it was the winner
Fixtures
Monday, January 25, 2021
Umuahia South vs Umuahia North
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Ukwa East vs Aba South
Venue: Umuahia Township Stadium
Time: 10am