By Chinedum Ohanusi
Defending Champions, Dream Team FC have been crowned winners of the 6th Edition of the Abaji Football Coaches Cup, after trouncing Kamsas United FC 6-1 in a one sided final, played at the Abaji Central field, Friday last week.
The final billed for 3pm, eventually got underway at 3:45pm, when the Referee, Yusuf Bale signaled for hostilities to begin; and it took Dream Team FC only 13 minutes to open the floodgate of goals, through Joshua Waya who was wearing jersey No:12.
The scores remained like that, until the 37th minute when Referee Bale awarded a penalty against Kamsas United FC, after a handball in the 18 yard box. The spot kick was converted by Joshua Waya, who notched his second of the final, and 6th goal of the tournament; to lead the scorers’ chart.
Just before the halftime whistle, Haruna Ohinoyi made it 3-0 for Dream Team, after receiving a through pass in the 44th minute of the game.
A player of Kamsas United FC spotting Jersey No.6 became the first player to be officially cautioned, 4 minutes after the break; and at the 64th minute, Ramalan Salihu scored an eye-catching solo goal, to extend the lead by Dream Team FC to 4-0.
Ramalan Salihu scored his second goal of the final, in the 71st minute, with Joshua Waya making the Assist for the rampant Dream Team FC; and in the 82nd minute, Kamsas United FC eventually got onto the scorers sheet, when Hamza Suleiman scored from the penalty spot, a goal that was eventually a mere consolation, for the beaten finalists.
But Dream FC had the final say, through Joshua Waya who netted again in the 86th minute, to complete his memorable
hat trick, thereby taking his goal tally to seven goals, in as many matches.
The comprehensive 6-1 victory, means Dream Team FC are back-to-back winners of the Abaji Football Coaches tournament;
Head of the organizing committee, Sulaiman Alhaji Ibrahim doled out a personal donation of N20,000:00 and N10,000:00 to the winning team, Dream Team FC, and beaten finalists Kamsas United FC in that order; while the following were singles out for various awards.
All players and officials of the winning team, Dream Team FC (24 Gold Medal).
All players and officials of Kamsas United FC, (24 Silver Medal).
Best Goalkeeper of the tournament award (a medal) went to Saidu Abubakar of Dream Team FC.
MVP & Highest Goal Scorer Awards, both went to Joshua Waya of Dream Team FC (7 Goals).
Other award winners are Musa Muhammed “Odozoga”, the Team Manager of Pandagi United; and Ramalan Mansur aka Dan-Mallam of All Stars FC, who scooped the Fair Play Award.
The Chairman, Gwagwalada Football Council Ibrahim Bako, who represented a member of the Board of the FCT FA, Barrister Babatunde Akintade aka Bucknor at the final, also made a pledge of one hundred thousand Naira (N100,000:00) as support for the good work done by the organizers of the tournament.
