NPFL: Katsina United host Dakkada FC
After 76 matches, 12 away wins and 152 goals, the 2019/20 NPFL season has, so early on, made tremendous positive changes to the concept of Nigerian league football.
One of its latest fixtures will be taking place on Wednesday, December 18, at the refurbished Muhammadu Dikko Stadium where 2nd-placed Dakkada FC will be guests to 11th-placed Katsina United in the agricultural town of Katsina, Katsina State.
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The visitors, Dakkada FC, who arrived Katsina on Monday – two days earlier – are into this contest on the heels of an impressive 2-1 home win over 8-time Champions, Enyimba.
The Dakkada boys will be looking to make their extra day rest count by extending their impressive run as the only NPFL side to have scored at least a goal in every single match they’ve played this campaign.
Dakkada’s Coach Caleb Esu who has had six different goal scorers so far will have a bit of a selection headache with Utibe Arit, who scored a brace in the win against Enyimba, clearly on the edge of dipping into Wednesday’s starting eleven.
The visitors must be at their defensive strength to avoid giving away an early penalty as Katsina United who have won three early spot-kicks in their four home matches so far – all penalties have been converted by the club’s top scorer, Tasiu Lawal, who has four NPFL goals to his credit.
The hosts arrive this fixture on a run of two wins and as many losses in their last five NPFL matches, scoring three and conceding six in the process, with their last outing being a 2-0 away loss at Rivers United.
Head Coach, Henry Makinwa, will have to decide whether or not to keep faith with the impressive goalkeeper Kassaly Daouda, who’s kept three clean sheets this campaign, or recall the more experienced former Niger Tornadoes goaltender, Mustapha Aliko otherwise the usual suspects, Gambo Mohammed, Lawal Tasiu and Destiny Ashadi are expected to start.
Katsina United, who have scored in every home match they’ve played, look a formidable force at home with their only blemish being a 1-1 draw to Enyimba on Matchday Two but they will find life a bit more stifling when they face off against the surprising act of this season’s NPFL.
In Katsina on Wednesday, aside from the production of hides, cotton, groundnuts, guinea corn and millet, fans will be looking forward to a production of top-notch Nigerian-made football.
