The Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan, 3SC have qualified for the 2021/2022 Nigerian Premier league season despite narrowly losing to Niger Tornadoes of Minna, 3-2 in the NNL Super 8 final.
The match which took place on Sunday 12th September 2021 featured the two strong teams of the competition slugging it out after topping their respective groups in the previous stage.
Niger Tornadoes got on to a good start with a 1-0 lead after just 9 minutes of play in what was looking like a clash of equals.
3SC powerful goalscorer in the tournament, Gafar Oladimihan scored an equalizer 7 minutes after his team went behind as the two teams absorbed each other’s pressure till the end of the first half.
Niger Tornadoes resumed the second half with a second goal to take the lead for the second time in the game in the 56th minute of the encounter.
The Warriors piled pressure for an equalizer but were unfortunate to concede a third goal five minutes after conceding the second goal.
The “never say never” spirit of the team was not dampened as the team gave their opponents a run for their money as they eventually reduced the deficit at the stroke of 90 minutes with a sublime effort by Raheem Quadry to end the game at 3-2.
The result of the game does not in any way affect the qualification of both teams for the NPFL which was the main aim of the competition, it only crowns Niger Tornadoes champions of the Nigerian National League Super Eight 2020/2021 season as 3SC finished runners up.
It would be recalled that 3SC defeated Remo Stars the previous day by 6-0 and fatigue could have come in as the players didn’t have enough time to rest especially as their match with Remo Stars was played in the evening of Saturday 11th September 2021.
Meanwhile, 3SC players took most the top individual awards in the competition as they showed excellence and resilience all through the competition.
Gafar Olafimihan bagged the double awards of the Golden Boot and Golden Ball as the highest goalscorer and best player of the tournament.
Also, Goalkeeper Charles Tambe won the best goalkeeper of the tournament as he took the Golden Glove home.