CAN DOMA UNITED DO THE DERBY DOUBLE OVER ARCH RIVALS GOMBE UNITED ?
CAN DOMA UNITED DO THE DERBY DOUBLE OVER ARCH RIVALS GOMBE UNITED ?
With this season’s second installment of the Savannah derby looming today, a large amount of the pre-match analysis has been surrounding how this one differs from the past.
Savannah Tigers take on Gombe United in what may prove to be an extremely important clash for both teams. Doma United are currently 13th in the table with 0 win since the beginning of the NPFL24 second stanza. while Gombe United occupy the 20th spot.
The last time the two teams met, Doma United triumphed over the Savannah Scorpions 3-0 in their shared ground of Pantami Stadium, Gombe played as the home team, goals from Emmanuel Jesam (brace) and Emmanuel Ekpeyong. This match will prove to be pivotal in the league survival ambitions of each team and both teams come into the fixture on the back of some poor runs of form.
The absence of Emmanuel Ekpeyong, Sani Sulaiman Kaduna, Haruna Aliyu LBC, Kingdom Osayi and Andrew Majalisa contributed to Doma United’s downfall. While Gombe suffered 6 points and 3 goals deduction from its total accrued due to assault on match officials in two different home matches ( Rivers United and Akwa United ). Also, the lack of adequate financial support from the state government ultimately contributed to the poor performance of the team which is detrimental to the good image of Gombe State.
However, this has bred a lot of chatter expressing the sentiment that this match has more significance to Gombe United than it does to Doma United. But i see it to be the exact opposite: This match is actually much more important for Doma United because Gombe United can’t escape relegation except if they win their appeal against points and goals deduction, especially the recent one which to me is wholly disproportionate and unjust.
On the other hand, there is no way Doma United is making the top 4, so escaping relegation is really all they are gunning for; losing to Gombe United would see them drop to 16th on the log which will increase their chances of them getting relegated too.
The game promises to be a mouthwatering Savannah derby and looks to be an intense and exhilarating contest. Given the permutations, the odds for this game seem to be skewed in favour of Doma United as a loss could plant a seed of doubt in the minds of their players.
There are a lot of ways this derby can play out, but one thing is clear: Doma United can ill-afford a loss and will definitely want to grab all the three points, but a mammoth obstacle stands in the way because Gombe United can give everything possible to deny Savannah tigers their first double over them. Both teams have a great task requiring the great strength of a Hercules.
Whatever, you don’t want to miss the most anticipated battle that never fails to deliver drama and excitement on the pitch, it’s more than just a game.
