Niger Tornadoes suffered a slim defeat to Abia Warriors in the NPFL Matchday 31 clash at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba.
The hosts took an early lead through Suraj Lawal, who found the net in the 7th minute. Abia Warriors doubled their advantage in the 65th minute when Casmir Azubuike converted to put them firmly in control.
Niger Tornadoes pulled one back late on, with Joseph Godfrey scoring in the 81st minute after being set up by Ahmadu Liman, but it proved insufficient to change the outcome.
Head coach Majin Mohammed attributed the loss to his side’s inability to convert scoring opportunities, despite what he described as a strong overall performance.
“We played well and were in control of the game. We created several chances, especially in the first half, but couldn’t convert them. They had their chances too and took an early lead.”
Majin also pointed to misfortune and late timing as contributing factors to the defeat.
“We were not lucky. Even when we tried to come back after scoring late, time was no longer on our side,” he added.
Looking ahead, the Tornadoes gaffer emphasized the team’s focus on their next fixture.
“We will return home and prepare properly for our next game against Wikki Tourists with the aim to secure all three points.”
