By Akila Matawal
Nigeria Professional Football League title holders Akwa United Friday evening safely arrived Lafia and are set to engage hosts Nasarawa United in Sunday’s matchday 4 NPFL encounter.
The Promise Keepers checked in at their hotel in high spirits after enjoying a hard but sweet 1-0 mid-week triumph over Gombe United in Uyo to maintain an unbeaten start to the season.
Captain and golden boy Ubong Friday leads the Kennedy Boboye fold alongside club legend Akarandut Orok, dazzling left back David Philip, who makes a return to the side, reliable goaltender Adewale Adeyinka and the almost unbreakable central defensive pair of Denis Nya and Sampson Gbadebo are all available for selection.
Both sides won their home fixtures last season by the same scoreline. A heartbreaking winner in stoppage time by Adamu Hassan gifted the Solid Miners a 2-1 win on Valentine’s Day in Lafia before the Promise Keepers got back their pound of flesh with a 2-1 win en route clinching their first ever league title since the team’s inception in 1997.
High in confidence after three matches, Akwa United head into the tie second on the log, no thanks to an inferior goal difference which places Remo Stars, also on seven points, ahead. A 3-0 opening day win over Kano Pillars, a 1-1 draw in Ibadan against Shooting Stars and a 1-0 defeat of Gombe United completes the team’s scorecard so far this season.
Nasarawa United on their part are chasing their first win of the season despite not losing a game having drawn all three games.
Akwa United are currently enjoying their best start to an NPFL season in recent years and look determined to get a positive result at the Lafia City Stadium when the Nasarawa United showdown tees off at 4pm on Sunday January 2, 2022 at the Lafia City Stadium.