Ikpoba-Okha stole the show with last-gasp drama ...As Ovia North-East win by walkover

...Unity Cup, designed to create real opportunities for Edo youth – Senator Imasuen

By Maxwell Kumoye 

 

 

Day Two of the Benin Unity Cup served up everything from heart-stopping drama to anticlimax, as fans at the Crescent Sports Club watched one match explode into late excitement while the other ended without a ball being kicked.

Ikpoba-Okha Local Government were the headline act on Friday, snatching a 90th-minute equaliser to deny high-scoring Egor LG a consecutive victory in what was easily the most gripping contest of the tournament so far.

After a cagey first half where both sides cancelled each other out, Egor—who smashed Uhunmwode 5–1 on match day one—hit stride early in the second period. In the 48th minute, Towo Eventus finished off a slick move to put Egor ahead, with the favourites looking firmly in control.

But Ikpoba-Okha refused to go quietly.

With spectators already preparing for full time and Egor seemingly cruising, Emeka Nwaneda produced the moment of the tournament—firing home a dramatic equaliser at the death that sent Ikpoba-Okha supporters into frenzy and left Egor players stunned.

The late twist ensured both sides shared the spoils, but it was Ikpoba-Okha who walked off to the louder applause.

The second match of the day delivered no such fireworks. Ovia North-East were awarded a 3–0 walkover victory after Uhunmwode LG failed to show up, despite a mandatory 30-minute grace period.

Attention now shifts to a mouthwatering Saturday lineup featuring Ovia South-West against Orhionmwon, and the highly anticipated “Heartbeat Derby” between Oredo I and Oredo II, a clash already buzzing across local football circles.

Meanwhile, tournament sponsor and vision driver, Senator Neda Imasuen, who watched proceedings from the stands, expressed delight at the steady rise in quality and organisation.

“I am happy that the competition is taking better shape as it progresses. The boys have continued to showcase their local talents,” he said. “Above all, the competition has demonstrated the power of football in bringing communities together.”

Imasuen reaffirmed that the Benin Unity Cup is designed to create real opportunities for Edo youth still within active football age brackets—an objective he believes the tournament is already fulfilling.