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SEALS Cup 2023: Ilori shines as Geography wins tournament opener

IBADAN, Nigeria – The heavily anticipated SEALS Cup kicked off officially at the SUB pitch on Friday, 29th of September, 2023, at about 5:23 p.m. The Student Union president, Samson Oluwatobiloba Samuel, popularly known as HOST, declared the tournament open with a ceremonial kick to start the match between reigning champions Geography and Petroleum Engineering.

Pre-match analysis and football chatter promised us classic, entertaining football, and the two teams delivered no less. It was Geography that came out on top, but the match was keenly contested. 

Both teams started a little behind as they sought to find a rhythm to their gameplay. It was Petroleum Engineering who settled in first, using their 4-4-2 formation to deadly effect. Their tactics were direct, using a combination of wide play and long balls to force errors in the Geography 18-yard box. However, they failed to profit from the errors, and Geography was on hand to make them suffer for it.

Captain Ojele was particularly outstanding in office throughout the game, dropping deeper than his natural central forward position to open up space and provide chances for his teammates. Petroleum Engineering’s direct style forced several fouls in the opening minutes, but all that couldn’t lead to a goal eventually, as Geography finally settled into a familiar possession-based gameplay.

With a mix of precision passing and heightened positional awareness, Geography’s midfielders comfortably took the game out of Petroleum Engineering’s hands. Michael Ilori was declared the player to watch before the match started, and he was beyond spectacular throughout the game. From actively marking in the midfield to driving down the flank and creating chances, the midfielder was the terror for Petroleum Engineering’s defense.

Once Ilori and Eazy could get on the ball for Geography, it was only a matter of time before they got a goal. Central striker Christopher missed a golden chance to put the Geography team ahead in the first half, as his free header couldn’t find the back of the net. Bolaji Adam could gather from the missed header, but Christopher didn’t disappoint when the chance came calling in the second half.

It started with one of Ilori’s left flank drives, as he skipped past multiple defenders to create space on his favored left foot. If the movement was technical, the cross that followed was pure class, as Christopher met the delightful cross with an expert volley of his own to notch the goal for Geography.

The goal came quite against the run of play, but that spark of brilliance from the Geography attack unsettled the Petroleum Engineering team. They seemed out of sync for the rest of the game as Geography continued to press for a second goal. It almost came for them, as Eazy’s floated freekick struck the crossbar rather fortunately for keeper Bolaji Adam.

The scoreboard remained the same till the end of the game, and Michael Ilori was declared man of the match. He and Christopher got giveaway rewards, courtesy of FUTA’s sporting director, as they helped their team launch their title defense in style.

Live action from the SEALS Cup resumes on Monday, 2nd of October, 2023, as Educational Management and Microbiology face off at 9:00 a.m. on the SUB pitch.

Stay tuned to Made In Africa Sport for more match reviews as the tournament unfolds.

 

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