Yobe Desert Stars have become the third team to qualify for the #NaijaSuper8 finals in Lagos after beating rivals Gombe United on Saturday afternoon at the Eket Stadium in Akwa-Ibom.
The match ended 2-1 in favour of the Desert Stars as they confirm their place at the grand finale of the competition which will take place in Lagos next month.
After a cagey start, the game came alive towards the end of the first half as Tony Elaigwu’s sublime volley found the back of the net to give Yobe Desert Stars the lead.
Shaibu Adamu doubled the advantage of the Desert Stars in added time of the first half as he took advantage of Gombe United’s goalkeeper’s error to put his side in control of the Northeast derby.
Gombe United started the second half with a lot enthusiasm and it paid off in no time as Ogunjimi Samuel pulled one back for his side to make it 2-1.
Zubair Aliyu’s side sought for the equalizer keenly for most part of the second half but failed to convert any of their chances owing to his team’s lack of decisiveness in the final third.
Things got worse for Gombe United as they were reduced to 10 men with few minutes to the end of the match as Shaibu Adamu got sent off by the referee.
Yobe Stars held on to their 2-1 lead and numerical advantage till blast of the final whistle which has now seen them join Lobi Stars and Remo Stars as teams that have qualified for the NaijaSuper8 finals in Lagos.
