Desmond Iwuchukwu
Rivers State’s remaining representative in the ongoing Higher Institution Football League Ignatius Ajuru University (IAUE Minders) were knocked out of the competition 4-2 via penalties after a 5-5 aggregate score over 2 legs against Delsu Titans.
The Minders who came into the game with a 3-2 away win from the first game in Ozoro Delta State, failed to capitalize on home advantage as they succumbed by a similar score line in Port Harcourt to send the game to penalties.
The home side started on a bright note with Abel Eli scoring his 7th of the competition in the opening 10 mins of the game from the spot after Promise Eme was hacked down in the box.
However, a howler from the Minders Goalkeeper Stephen Chinemerem just after the interval gifted the Titans a lifeline as Onyekachi Njoku made no mistake for the visitors.
The away side then went ahead after sustained pressure through Omodio Great in the 75’, before Man of the Match Abel Eli again restored parity for the home side with his second of the game and 8th in the competition after a pass from Promise Amadi in the 80’.
Okwuchi Emrack then scored in the final minute of normal time for the away side to drag the game to penalties.
Titan substitute goalkeeper Fabian ugboko who came to replace injured first-choice Goalie Godfrey Ehis, produced two fantastic saves in the penalty shoot-out to hand his team the quarter-final ticket.
Coach of the home side David Egbiri described it as a bad game for him while Coach of the away side Samuel Okoebor said the victory is well deserved.
Delsu Titans will now proceed to a one-legged quarter-final contest in Benin next week, against UNN Lions who earlier knocked out fellow Rivers side Uniport Sharks also at the round of 16.
