December, 31 2021.
Niger Tornadoes were forced to a one all draw against 10 man Abia Warriors at their adopted home in ilorin, on Matchday 3 of the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League.
Bala men started well, threatening Abia Warriors in the opening 20 minutes with Usule Martin's and Lukman Mohammed going close with a header and volley respectively.
In the 28th minutes Kabir Adeniji thought he had put Tornadoes ahead with a neat acrobatic volley inside the box but was correctly flagged for offside. Moments later, the Ikon Allah boys got the lead their play deserved when Usule Martin's found space inside the box to shoot, his effort deflected off abia player to wrongfoot Pius Ibrahim, putting tornadoes ahead in the thirty fourth minute.
Six minutes after resumption Abia warriors made their first sub to change things when Emmanuel Ugwuka replaces Shedrack oghali before Chidi Nwachukwa enters the referees book for dissent.
Then, in the fifty third minute, Hammed Yakub pounces on a loose ball at the edge of the box with a left footed volley that hit the bottom corner to square up the score.
That did caught tornadoes a bit and as Abia gained confidence however it was Bala side who should have regained the lead when
Pius Ibrahim fumbled a cross which drops to Ahmadu who fires wide from a decent position with twenty minutes to play.
Vital action soon followed when Abia Physio was sent off for what looks like a time wasting, followed by second yellow to Chidi. He was about to be replaced but wasted moment on the field which prompt the referee in flashing a second yellow then a red.
From that moment tornadoes ask all sort of question. Abiodun Adebayo freekick with four minutes to stoppages was beautifully saved by Pius Ibrahim, then Bala's men failed to score in a goal mount Scrabble as Abia held on during the five minutes of added time for a precious point.
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