NPFL: Wikki tourists bounce Back with 2-0 victory over shooting stars in Bauchi
Mijinyawa Ahmed
Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi returned to winning ways on Sunday with a decisive 2-0 victory over Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
Our correspondent reports that the Matchday 10 fixture was played at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi.
The hosts, who had suffered consecutive defeats in their Matchday 8 and 9 encounters, came into the game determined to reverse their poor run of form and they did just that in front of their home fans.
Abdullahi Usman opened the scoring for Wikki Tourists in the 30th minute, finishing off a fine attacking move that left the Shooting Stars’ defense flat-footed.
Jonathan Mairiga doubled the lead twelve minutes later, slotting home in the 42nd minute to give the Bauchi side a comfortable advantage going into halftime.
The second half saw a more defensive approach from Wikki Tourists, who focused on protecting their lead as 3SC mounted sustained pressure in search of a comeback.
Despite several attempts, the Ibadan-based side could not find a breakthrough, as Wikki’s backline held firm until the final whistle.
The victory lifts Wikki Tourists’ morale with 12 points, position 13 after that matchday 10, as they look ahead to their next NPFL fixture.
Speaking after the match, 3SC head coach Nurudeen Aweroro acknowledged his team’s shortcomings, saying: “It’s normal to lose sometimes.
“Our game plan didn’t work as expected, but we’ll address the mistakes and bounce back stronger.”
In contrast, Wikki Tourists’ technical adviser, Abdull Maikaba, expressed relief and satisfaction with his team’s performance.
“We’ve had a difficult spell over the past few games, but today’s win shows our resilience. “We came determined not to concede, and scoring two goals makes it even better,” he said.
