Hammola Football Championship: RCCG YP12 Advance As Deshina FC Bow Out After Group Finale
By Sportsgister
RCCG YP12 secured qualification for the knockout stage of the Hammola Football Championship after claiming a hard-fought 3–1 victory over Deshina FC in their final group-stage fixture.
The result sealed RCCG YP12’s progression, while Deshina FC’s campaign came to an end after falling short in a must-win encounter.
Having drawn their opening match, RCCG YP12 entered the contest knowing that even a point would be enough to see them through. Deshina FC, on the other hand, had no margin for error and were forced to chase all three points to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The urgency of Deshina FC was evident from the opening minutes. Inside five minutes, they won a dangerous free kick on the edge of the box, raising early hopes among their supporters. However, the resulting effort flew over the crossbar, a missed opportunity that would soon prove costly.
RCCG YP12 gradually grew into the game and found the breakthrough in the 16th minute following a costly defensive lapse. A long ball into Deshina FC’s penalty area caused confusion as goalkeeper Adeleke Toheed rushed off his line. A defender’s attempted header back to the goalkeeper went horribly wrong, looping over both players. RCCG forward Oladeji Kolade reacted quickest, calmly tapping into an unguarded net to open the scoring.
Momentum swung firmly in RCCG YP12’s favour five minutes later. Sustained pressure pinned Deshina FC deep in their own half, and Ajibola Ayodele capitalised in the 21st minute, finishing from close range to double the advantage.
Deshina FC responded almost instantly. Just a minute after conceding the second goal, Adams Fukanbi struck to reduce the deficit, reigniting belief and briefly shifting the momentum in Deshina’s favour.
Any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed. In the 27th minute, Olamilekan Falana restored RCCG YP12’s two-goal cushion with a composed finish, effectively halting Deshina FC’s resurgence and sending RCCG into the halftime break with a commanding 3–1 lead.
The second half saw Deshina FC emerge with renewed determination and a clear refusal to surrender. Their urgency earned them two dangerous free kicks around the 56th minute, both taken from promising positions just outside the penalty area. One effort narrowly cleared the crossbar, while the other was firmly dealt with by the RCCG YP12 defensive wall.
Despite Deshina FC’s spirited efforts, RCCG YP12 remained disciplined and well-organised, expertly controlling the tempo and limiting their opponents to speculative chances. As the final whistle sounded, the scoreline remained unchanged, confirming RCCG YP12’s progression and bringing Deshina FC’s tournament journey to a close.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
