Date: 2012-01-23

Ilorin – Coach Tunde Sanni of Kwara United FC of Ilorin on Sunday described the team's 1-0 victory over Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt in the premier league as well-deserved. Sanni, in an interview commended the determination exhibited by the players in the Saturday's match in Ilorin. He said that his players would continue to work hard and remain focused to excel in the 2011/2012 league season. "My players will not allow the victory to go into their heads. It will rather propel them to continue to improve as the competition progressed." Philip Asuquo scored the lone goal of the match in the third minute. AKwa United FC beat Jigawa golden stars 1-0 Calabar – The Akwa United Football Club of Uyo on Sunday in Calabar defeated Jigawa Golden Stars 1-0 in a week 2 match of the 2011/2012 league season. The only goal of the match was scored in the 83rd minute by substitute Ini Akpan through corner kick. The goal spurred the Jigawa boys to action as they made frantic efforts to equalise but the efforts were thwarted by the defence of the Akwa United team. After the match, Chief Coach of Jigawa Golden Stars Isa Dodo blamed the loss on bad officiating from the centre referee, Mohammed Usman from Plateau. "We lost to bad officiating by the centre referee.'' He said the he would go back and strategise for the next match. His Akwa United counterpart, Solomon Ogbeide, refused to speak on the match. The fans of Akwa United football club had earlier expressed dissatisfaction over the shift of venue from Uyo stadium to Calabar stadium. Dolphins' manager blames league defeat on injury Lagos – Stanley Oguma, the Manager of Port Harcourt-based Dolphins FC, on Sunday blamed the 0-1 away loss to Kwara United FC in Ilorin to injuries in the team. Oguma said on telephone that Dolphins fielded a make-shift team comprising more injured players. "Many of my players were injured and we could not present a formidable team. "The players we fielded put in their best but could not overturn the goal as we would have wished.'' The manager gave the assurance that the team would soon begin to pick points from away matches now that the League had just begun. "The league has just started and we expect that in our away games we will be able to take home three points however tough they may be. "Our loss to Kwara United is history to us now.'' The Dolphins are the defending champions, having won the premier league shield for the 2010/ 2011/ season. Dolphins are to host Kaduna United on Wednesday in one of the week's five fixtures in Port Harcourt. (NAN)