Rampaging Rumuola FC has lifted the 2022 Apara Unity Football Cup after thumping their opponents, Eneka FC 2-0 at the finals, coasting home with the coveted trophy.

Though the final match being played at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic football pitch was disrupted at 80 minutes when fans of Eneka FC invaded the pitch in protest against the alleged hoarding of the ball by the ball boys, which they said was aimed at unnecessarily delaying the game.

In frustration, the match officials decided to end the game and award the trophy and its attendant prize money to Rumuola FC after the game was held up for several minutes and all efforts to persuade the irate fans to exit the pitch for play to resume failed.  

They based their decision on the fact that Rumuola FC was already leading their opponent by a wide margin of two goals to nothing before the game was disrupted.  

The Apara Unity Cup winners, Rumuola FC, which many adjudged as the much better side, opened scoring two minutes into the explosive encounter with a blinder that caught the Eneka FC keeper napping in his bid to save the goal, but the effort was unsuccessful.

The charging Rumuola lads struck again few minutes into the second half, having ripped open the defense of their opponent to tuck in the second goal, thereby rendering more elusive the hopes of the Eneka FC team levelling up.

Reacting to the outcome of the match, President General of the Apara Kingdom Youth Council, Gordon Omunakwe said that, as far as he was concerned, the game was won and lost and there was no stalemate.

According to him, the match was duly concluded, noting that hooliganism is part of soccer globally, asserting that Rumuola FC won the game, hence the trophy, prize money and all other perks accruable to the tournament winner were granted them.

He advised Eneka FC to always be good losers, as required of good sportsmen, thanking the dignitaries and spectators for turning out en masse to grace the grand finale of the Apara Unity Cup 2022, promising to do better in next edition.

“Football is game of emotions, even in the western world people react negatively when they their teams lose games, so the little skirmishes you witnessed were part of the game of football.”.

On his part, Technical Manager of Rivers United FC, Stanley Eguma lauded the organizers of the tournament for a successful outing, condemning, however, the encroachment of the pitch by fans at almost the end of the game, advising the organizers to make adequate provision for security in future editions.

Eguma, who is also an Apara son, stressed that hooliganism in soccer can result to anything, including death, hence, adequate security arrangements must be made to forestall future occurrences.

He expressed delight over the success of the tournament and the discovery of new talents who can be supported to play professional football abroad, maintaining that this was the essence of organising grassroots football.  

Rukpokwu FC had earlier beaten Rumuepirikom FC via penalties to clinch the bronze.