Ocean boys football club of Bayelsa State, in the restive Niger Delta region, emerged Nigeria’s challenge cup champions Saturday when they beat Gombe United 7-6 on penalties at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi, capital of the central Benue State, according to the privately-owned Guardian newspaper Sunday. Score at full-time was 2-2 but with the penalty shootout score at 6-6, it was the Bayelsa goalkeeper Ezenwa Ikechukwu who settled the stalemate when he beat his opposite number John Gali for his team’s winning goal from the penalty spot. The victory earned Ocean boys their second national laurel in the league after the team won the 2006 Super League under Belgian coach, Maurice Cooreman. Gombe drew the first blood in the first half before Ocean Boys levelled up late into the first half. Gombe went ahead again in the second half but the Ocean Boys, who were not ready to give up, equalised toward the end of the game to put the encounter into “sudden death”. This victory means that the Ocean boys will represent Nigeria in next year’s African Cup winners’ cup tournament.
