Eko 2012 Festival: Rivers leads on medals table

…Nfreke helps Akwa Ibom to dismantle Osun

By MONICA IHEAKAM at Teslim Balogun stadium

Barely two days after the commencement of the 18th National Sports Festival, Rivers State is already blazing the trail with 3 gold medals and 1 silver as Oyo State in the second place with 1 gold, 2 silver medals. Delta state is third on the table as at press time last night with 1 bronze. Kaduna and Lagos are in the fourth position respectively.

Meanwhile, Hope Nfreke was the star of Akwa Ibom’s 4-1 thumping of their Osun counterparts in women’s football at the festival yesterday. The Akwa Ibom’s striker netted a hat-trick within 72 minutes to inspire her team to its second win in the women’s event of soccer at the games. The first of Nfreke’s three goals came within three minutes of the game and she doubled her tally 40 minutes later to give Akwa Ibom a two-nil lead at the break.

The Osun women, however, fought back to halve the tally nine minutes into the restart at the Agege Stadium in Lagos. Mary Abimbola converted a spot kick as Osun tried to claw themselves back into the match. But petite Nfreke was on the prowl again with 18 minutes left as she poked home her third of the morning.Osun made a late surge to salvage the game, but it was Akwa Ibom that drilled the nail into their opponents’ coffin with an 86th minute strike from Precious Akpan.

The 4-1 triumph is the second win for Akwa Ibom in women’s football after Monday’s 2-1 win over their counterparts from Taraba. On Monday, Osun kicked off their quest for a gold medal in women’s football with a 2-1 win over Benue before their loss to Akwa Ibom.