Shooting Stars Sports Club, 3SC striker Ajayi Samuel’s goal during the two minutes of additional time at the end of the match against Katsina United in the semi-finals of the ongoing Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL LA LIGA Promises Youth League ended their opponent’s third cup consecutive ambition.
The keenly contested match lived up to expectations as both teams who had played 1-1 in the group stage muscled their strength.
Katsina United’s dominance which outsmarted the Oluyole’s boys in the first half, paid off when their player Kasimu Abdullahi 30 minutes slotted in the ball to the back of the net to give his team the lead.
The first half ended 1-0 in favor of Katsina United.
The resumption of the second half saw the survival for the fittest as the defending champion was on the watch to avoid goals from their opponents.
But their resilience was broken when Abass Abubakar in the 48 minutes ran after the ball that was volleyed into the penalty yard of Katsina United, beating the on-rushing goalkeeper to score into an empty net.
After the goal, the tempo of the match increased under the floodlight which looked might end in a penalty shoot-out.
But at the death of the second time, Ajayi Samuel punished the Katsina United defense after a free kickball slipped from the hand of the defending champion goalkeeper to earn the Ibadan lord soccer the final ticket of the competition.
After the goal, Katsina United player left the field, not to continue the match. It took the intervention of match officials for them to continue the match.
The match ended with outrage as Katsina officials expressed grievances over the referee’s decision to award the goal, claiming the striker fouled their goalkeeper.
The match ended 2-1 in favor of 3SC and they zoomed to the final to play against Remo Stars on Sunday, 8 May 2022.