Onwuzigbo Shines As Abakaliki FC Thrash Godswill Akpabio Utd 4-1 At Home

Abakaliki FC returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion on Saturday, hammering Godswill Akpabio United FC 4–1 at the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Ebonyi State, in a thrilling encounter that showcased renewed confidence, attacking sharpness and tactical discipline.

The hosts produced a dominant second-half performance, with forward Joseph Chibuike Onwuzigbo delivering a standout display to claim the Man of the Match award after inspiring a four-goal blitz that overwhelmed the visitors. Both sides started cautiously, battling for midfield control in a tightly contested first half that ended goalless despite a number of promising attacking moves from Abakaliki FC.

However, the home side’s growing tempo and attacking intent hinted that the deadlock would not last. After the restart, Abakaliki FC raised the intensity, pressing higher up the pitch and stretching the visitors’ defence until the breakthrough finally came. Once the first goal arrived, the floodgates opened as the hosts unleashed a devastating scoring run, netting four times in a commanding offensive display that electrified the home supporters.

Speaking after the match, Man of the Match Onwuzigbo attributed the victory to teamwork, resilience and the determination of the squad to bounce back from recent setbacks. “We are very happy today. We have been working towards this since the second round. Even though the last two results did not favour us, we kept pushing ourselves higher. Our slogan is HPM — we go higher to make things possible,” he said.

The forward also praised the unity within the team and the leadership of head coach Starplus Aniesta, noting that collective effort made the victory possible. Head coach Starplus Aniesta expressed satisfaction with his team’s response, stating that the performance reflected the hard work put in during training sessions in recent weeks.

“I am highly impressed with the boys. Even though the first half ended goalless, their approach showed they were determined to respond after the results we had in the past two weeks,” he said. The coach revealed that improving the team’s goal-scoring ability had been a key focus in training.

“We have been working on scoring goals for weeks. Today we are happy not only to secure the three points, but also to score four goals in front of our fans.” Despite the convincing win, Aniesta admitted the team was disappointed to concede a late goal, describing it as a lapse in concentration that must be corrected in future matches.

On the opposing side, Godswill Akpabio United FC goalkeeper trainer John Ema blamed the defeat on loss of concentration after halftime. “The boys did well in the first half, but in the second half they lost focus and that affected the result. We will go back and work on our mistakes,” he said.

Visiting player Wisdom Tom also admitted defensive lapses cost his side the game, noting that Abakaliki FC took full advantage after scoring the opener. The victory restores confidence in the Abakaliki FC camp and sends a strong message to rivals as the league campaign gathers momentum, with the Abakaliki side showing clear signs of improvement in attack, cohesion and match intensity.