Surprise Glo League Leaders, Giwa FC, Face Tricky Trip To Lobi

The Glo Premier League continues this weekend with Match Day Six games and the spotlight will be on surprise table-toppers, Giwa FC of Jos, who will visit Lobi Stars at the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi.

Giwa FC are just only featuring in the top flight in Nigeria for the second successive season after finishing in the top-six in their debut season even when they are regarded as upstarts.

Already this season, the Elephants of Jos, as Giwa FC are also called, have stunned one of the stellar names in the Glo Premier League. Giwa FC claimed the scalp of six-time Nigerian champions, Rangers, right at their ground, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

And when that 1-0 win at Rangers was thought to be a fluke, the Jos club further proved that they can score goals aplenty when they smashed Akwa United 4-0 with Shuaibu Ibrahim starring in the two wins against Rangers and Akwa United.

The Elephants of Jos go up against Lobi Stars, who are now the only club in the league yet to register a win. Lobi have played four draws against Bayelsa United, Enyimba, FC Taraba and Sharks, but suffered their first defeat of the season at Gabros FC via a two-nil loss in Nnewi.

Last season, Lobi Stars won this same game 2-1 when they hosted it at the Emmanuel Atongo Stadium, Katsina-Ala. The Makurdi club took a two-goal lead through Eche Idakwo and Nanen Barnabas Imenger before Giwa FC goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo scored a late goal from the spot. But this time Ojo is away on international duty.

There are nine other matches also billed for this weekend in the Glo Premier League. Two-time African champions, Enyimba, host Sharks in a potential cracker in Aba. The Aba club will seek to record a second successive win after their 1-0 win at FC Taraba. Sharks come into this match with a goalless outing at home to Bayelsa United in midweek.

League champions, Kano Pillars, will be out to redeem their image after their disappointing 2-1 loss at Nasarawa United when they host FC Taraba.

Their former coach, Mohammed Baba Ganaru, masterminded the Solid Miners’ win at the Lafia Stadium with Esosa Igbinoba scoring a brace before Rabiu Ali’s goal proved only elementary for the Kano-based club.

Kano Pillars will, however, still be without their influential striker, Gambo Muhammed, as well as their top scorer last season, Hassan Adamu, but they are not short of quality going forward with the likes of Adamu Mohammed and Ubong Moses Ekpai.

Another big game to watch out for on Match Day Six will be the clash between Warri Wolves and Heartland at the Warri City Stadium.

Heartland were stunned in the previous match day by Abia Warriors in the Oriental Derby in which Ifeanyi Onyeali scored a late goal to break the hearts of Owerri fans at the Dan Anyiam Stadium on Wednesday. That ended the seemingly invincible look of Heartland.