Classics defeats Animal Science to advance to the quarter finals; Bobola sees red

Olamilekan Mashika

In the match played at the SUB pitch in the evening hours of Monday, 5 December 2022, Faculty of Arts contingent, Classics department, defeated Animal Sciences by 2 goals to one to advance to the quarter finals of the SEALS cup competition.

Classics came into the match as favorites, but Animal science dominated the early proceedings. However, Classics grew into the game. The first half ended goalless with the Classics goalkeeper making two excellent stops to keep Classics in the match.

Classics took the lead in the early stages of the second half via a solo goal from their Winger, Ibrahim. He controls a ball cleared out from the back at the left midfield area, darts past his marker and places a well taken shot past the Animal Science goalkeeper. After the goal, Classics gets a shot for a penalty after Bobola was brought down by an Animal science defender. The referee however waved play on.

Classics then doubled their lead via a counter attack. The Classics striker gets the ball in what looks to be an offside position, but the linesman judges the striker to be in his own half, leaves the ball to the incoming Ibrahim who gets his second of the match by guiding a shot underneath the goalkeeper down to the middle of the post.

Animal science almost half the deficit but sees a shot from outside the penalty area comes off the crossbar. 

In the dying moments of the match, Classics midfielder, Bobola, was red carded after hitting an opposition player in the stomach. Bobola appears to be kicked in the face by an Animal science player when he was on the ground, but he stood up to punch the player who had kicked him. The referee then sends him off for his actions. In the resulting freekick, Animal science gets a late consolation in what was the last kick of the game. The ball ricochets in the penalty area and an Animal science player was there to bundle the ball past the Classics goalkeeper and defenders.