Seals Cup 2023: Fans’ disruption ends IPE-MBBS game as Philosophy seals semis ticket with comeback win
IBADAN (Made In Africa Sport) – Fate has a cruel way of causing even the best events to go sour, and the Industrial Products Engineering versus MBBS match was a case scenario.
While the players treated spectators to a brilliant display of quality football on Friday, 20 October 2023, some supposed IPE fans stormed the pitch to harass the referee after a number of his calls didn’t go their way.
The game ended in a 1–0 victory for the MBBS side, as Carbon rose to the occasion, making the most of a hurriedly cleared ball to hand his team a semi-final ticket. The striker had been a pain in the IPE defence, and although they did a great job keeping him from the centre for most of the match, he had the last laugh.
The game began with IPE claiming most of the pitch with intensity and pace. The Tech giants were seemingly everywhere at the same time, choking the MBBS team and preventing them from getting a good grasp of the midfield. Possession like that doesn’t come without chances, and we saw Paragon and Kenneth come close to opening the scoring for IPE from a flurry of half chances in the first half.
But it was the MBBS team that went closest to breaking the deadlock, as Dave placed a low shot at the bottom right corner, only for the post to deny him. The Medics had settled into a deep defensive line that looked to spread the attack via long balls and wing play, and they were disappointed not to have taken the lead through Dave’s effort.
IPE resumed the second half with their trademark intensity, as Paragon, Kenneth, and Pius were constant figures in the team’s attacking moves. Paragon rattled the crossbar with the beauty of a strike, and he was only unlucky not to have put his side ahead with that chance.
The next move saw an MBBS defender clear the ball up field to ease the pressure in the box, and Carbon went up against VK and Bukunmi, forcing his way from the halfway point to the IPE box. The defenders failed to keep him away from the ball, and he nicked it off their hands in the left area of the box to drive in a superb finish at the near post and score the opening goal.
Without flinching, the IPE team threw themselves right back into the game, penning the MBBS side in their own half for most of the next minutes. Pius went close with a 30-yard free-kick, but his shot whizzed past the post by mere inches.
All along, both teams had indicated that the assistant referees on the sidelines were not as efficient, as they failed to make the right calls on certain occasions. The IPE supporters soon began to question every decision the referee made, and it peaked after they decided he didn’t pick a handball around the MBBS box.
The fans invaded the pitch five minutes before the end of the game to have some strong words with the referee, causing a chaotic situation on the pitch. Play was paused and the two teams came to an agreement to continue, but just as the match was ready to restart, one of the fans went overboard with his emotions, and the referee had to leave the pitch for his safety.
For a few minutes, the match was on hold before it became clear that no one could continue with the match. The night was fast approaching, and the rain ensured there was going to be no further action on the SUB pitch.
The Seals Cup Organising Committee declared MBBS winners of the quarter-final fixture with IPE, and they have embarked on an investigation with the Students’ Union executives into the referee’s harassment on the pitch.
Earlier in the day, Philosophy staged a comeback to cancel out Chemistry’s early lead. Ayo had put the Faculty of Science team ahead, but Iyanu and John scored in the second half to ensure Philosophy earned a spot in the semis.
Post-match reactions from the teams involved indicated that officiating was poor in the quarter-final games, and IPE captain VK was especially vocal about the choice of linesmen. MBBS coach Mark Obeya then commented on the final events of the match, identifying the IPE fans’ invasion as a poor show of sportsmanship.
At any rate, Philosophy and MBBS are through to the last four, and there’s a slight chance we might see the two teams go neck and neck for the SEALS Cup trophy. But for now, they have work to do, as Philosophy goes against another Faculty of Science team, Computer Science, while MBBS takes on Political Science.
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