Nigeria’s home-based national side handed Ghana’s Olympic team, Black Meteors, a 1-0 defeat to prevent an anti-climax to the opening of the state-of-the-art Akwa Ibom Stadium in Uyo. Last Friday’s game was a high-profile international friendly watched by a capacity crowd and three heads of state.
The Meteors, who finished the match with 10 men, after defender Richard Yamoah was sent off in the 88th minutes following a tackle on Tony Edjomarigwe, failed to draw inspiration from the presence of Ghana’s president John Dramani Mahama and former President Jerry John Rawlings, who were special guests of Nigeria President, Goodluck Jonathan.
President Jonathan was joined by his Ghanaian and Cote d’Ivoire counterpart, Alassane Ouattara, all resplendent in traditional Nigerian outfits, to symbolically cut the tape to officially open the 30,000-capacity stadium which bears a striking resemblance with Germany’s iconic Allianz Arena.
In a match was marred by stampedes which saw 30 persons injured, after as police tried to control enthusiastic crowds that thronged the new sports facility, the host team rode to victory on the back of Emem Eduok’s winning goal in the 35th minute. Eduok headed in the only goal of the match after a cross from the right by Solomon Kwambe.
