The atmosphere in the heart of Asaba, the capital city of Delta State, is already supercharged for the pivotal encounter seeing Ughelli Rovers Football Club takes on debutant Itamah Football Academy in the opener of the New Year Mega Lottery Nationwide League One (NLO) Division One 2025 Season.
With seven and eight teams each pooled respectively in the Asaba Centres 1 & 2 vying for the single qualification ticket to the zonal playoffs, this match is set to be an electrifying showdown from two fantastic high-pressing teams, set to lock horns on the turf of Stephen Keshi Stadium on Wednesday, April 23, by 2pm.
Meanwhile, Eguono V’Ovwian Boys, known for their gritty tactics and possessive football, have been preparing rigorously for their second-time NLO appearance.
This, however, is another huge opportunity for the club to take shoot at reaching the next professional phase in the Nigeria’s football landscape.
Under the guidance of seasoned gaffer Ekete Nyerovwo, the team has seen themselves through a long intensive pre-season preparations, focusing on tactical discipline, physical endurance, and cohesion.
With a recent form of three wins and a draw from their last four games, the head coach emphasized in an exclusive pre-match interview with Platinum News on the essence to starting the campaign on a strong foot.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to fine-tune our strategies and ensure every player is at their peak. Itamah is a formidable opponent, but we’re ready to fight for that qualification spot. Our boys are hungry, and the fans will see that commitment on the pitch,” Nyerovwo said.
The Ughelli-based side boasts a squad of experienced players and young talents, with a 17-year-old striker Great Udori in charge of leading the attacking set-up and is expected to be a key threat considering his red-hot scoring tally for the club.
In addition to, star goalkeeper and captain Efe Bartholomew who continues to earn himself good ratings for his recent performances coming into the season. In football, just as it is commonly believed that one cannot undervalue the potent of having a very good hands in gloves to man the goalpost. It is the same way the Olomu-born youngster is to Ughelli Rovers since his debut club appearance.
Noting the solidity in the defense and superb creativity in the midfield, the team has been able to held their heads high above waters even against more competitive opponents with tedious styles of play. Itamah FA, moreso, is a compact and a well-preserved side that has overtime shown resilience and determination in Delta State grassroots football.
With Ughelli Rovers leveraging on their retinue of talents, experience and current form to claim an edge, this marks the official meeting with the Sapele-based football academy who would also come to steal the show or wreck the fun at the party.
If one thing is certain for tomorrow’s clash is that it promises to be a thrilling chapter in both teams’ quest for glory in their respective NLO campaigns. Meanwhile, there will be free-for-all live streaming of every Ughelli Rovers’ NLO 2025 league game on its official YouTube channel @UghelliRovers, starting with the season opener via https://youtube.com/live/FM7NdEQM2Pg?feature=share