The defending champions, Nigeria Medical Association FC, kicked off matchday two with a convincing 4-1 win over newcomers Golden Age FC on Wednesday.
Goals from Mkar Reuben and Ohis Ohioma gave them the win over Golden Age in what is tagged “Baptism of Fire”.
The second game of matchday two saw debutants Panthers FC share the spoils with Cameroon FC on Thursday evening.
In the first half, both teams had their fair share of chances, but Cameroon FC were more wasteful in front of goal while Panthers FC also failed to capitalize on their opportunities.
Panthers, in the second half, came close to scoring on two occasions. Panthers FC forward twice had the Cameroon FC goalkeeper clinically beaten in one-on-one situations, but the balls mysteriously rolled off inches away from goal on the two occasions
A melodrama, however, played out at the tail end of the game. A Panthers FC player was shown the exit for the second bookable offense — a check, however, revealed that it was a misplaced identity — having worn an already yellow carded but subbed-off player.
The game ended 0-0, leaving Panther FC with two points and Cameroon FC with one point from two matches in Group A.
In a post-match interview, Panthers FC assistant coach Felix Akhagbeosu shared his thoughts on the game: “Sometimes in football, you get a bad outing, we put in our best, but luck happened to work against us when it came to finding the back of the net.
Felix also talked about the team’s experience as debutants: “As debutants, it’s been tough and challenging, but we are hoping for the best in this tournament.