By ADERONKE OJO

Zeal O Football Academy of Galadima on Wednesday defeated Aminu Football Academy of Suleija , 3-1 in the 2026 FCT Football Association (FA) Division Two League in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the match, played at the Area 3 Football Pitch, Abuja, saw Zeal O demonstrate superior speed, agility and experience to secure victory in the Group E encounter.

Udor Samuel opened the scoring for Zeal O in the 10th minute with a close-range effort, but Ariyo Olanrewaju equalised for Aminu Football Academy five minutes later to make it 1-1.

Samuel restored Zeal O’s lead in the 20th minute with his second goal of the match.

Although the goalkeeper appeared to have stopped the ball, the center referee ruled that it had crossed the goal line.

Mohammed Samaila extended Zeal O’s advantage in the 35th minute, scoring from close range to make it 3-1 before the half-time break.

On resumption of the second half, both teams resumed with renewed determination, creating scoring opportunities in their attempts to alter the scoreline.

Aminu Football Academy pushed forward in search of a comeback, but its efforts yielded no goal, with several attempt hitting the crossbar and going over.

Zeal O maintained a disciplined defence, frustrating Aminu’s attacking moves as the match ended 3-1 in favour of the Galadima-based side.

Speaking after the match, Bulus Sunday , head coach of Zeal O football Academy commended his players for the victory but expressed concern over their second-half performance.

“My boys really tried. We had a good performance in the first half, but the game changed in the second half. We thank God for the 3-1 victory,” he said.

Sunday said his team had recovered from its opening-match defeat to win subsequent matches and accumulate nine points in Group E.

“We lost our first match, but we were able to win the remaining matches and today is our last match, We now have nine points, although the other teams in our group are yet to play their matches,” he said.

He said the team would work on its weaknesses ahead of the next stage of the competition, adding, our second-half performance was very poor.

“ We now know our lapses, and when we return , we will reorganise the team because our next match will be different and hope to get promoted,” he said.

On his part, Aminu Abdullahi, head coach of Aminu Football Academy, described the encounter as a valuable learning experience, that it was the team’s first appearance in the FCT Division Two League.

“The match was good, especially for my boys, because this is their first time playing in the FCT Division Two League. We are happy, and I believe it was not a bad game,” he said.

Abdullahi, however, called on the league organisers to pay closer attention to officiating, expressing dissatisfaction with some refereeing decisions.

“I would like the FCT amateur league organisers to take a careful look at their referees.

“ Although nobody is 100 per cent perfect, we were not happy with some of the decisions made during today’s game,” he said.

He said his team had played four matches, recording one draw and three defeats, but remained committed to improving its performance.

“We hope to do better in the future. I will work with my team to improve our defence and attacking play,” said Abdullahi, who also said that he established the academy in 2024.

NAN reports that the 2026 FCT FA Division Two League, which commenced on Sept. 8, is featuring 28 teams competing for promotion to division one.(NAN)