A selected team of visiting members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) on Sunday in Kaduna beat their Kaduna State hosts 4-0 in an exhibition match.
Olayinka Owolewa of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who was making his debut for National SWAN Selected, opened scoring early in the game.
Abubakar Hassan, the Niger SWAN Chairman, doubled the lead before half-time, after Owolewa who is also Kwara SWAN Secretary had missed a number of good scoring chances.
The visiting side restarted the game better than they played in the first stanza, controlling most of the proceedings till Nasarawa State SWAN member Jesse Adams made it 3-0.
The goal came midway into the second stanza almost as an anti-climax, as the hosts stayed back in their half to play defensively and stop the visitors from scoring more goals.
The SWAN Selected Side’s captain, Andrew Randa, scored as the match dragged to its end.
“We got some things accomplished as we wanted to,” Randa who was voted Man of the Match later said.
“I felt like we passed the ball pretty well. We would have liked to see more quality crosses and finishing, but overall I think it was a pretty good game.”
He however acknowledged that his team’s great start to the match helped them to dominate the game.
His team also had the likes of Sammy Adesoji, Richard Ajegena, Damilola Alagbe, Eche Amos and Promise Pikin-of-God.
Musa Nimrod, the Patron of Kaduna State SWAN and President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NBBF), who was the match’s special guest of honour was full of praises for both sides.
“Both sides had a good game, even though my people lost. But it was all interesting, and I praise the players and their officials, as well as supporters, for coming out for the game,” he said.
NAN reports that the match was played on the sidelines of the 2019 National Aiteo Cup Finals, and was meant to strengthen the unity among sports journalists covering the competition.(NAN)
