The Kingdoms of Benin and Ife share a rich and intertwined history that goes way back to the time of Oranmiyan. So when the UNIBEN hosted their OAU (Obafemi Awolowo University) cousins in the first match of the 2024 Varsity Cup, there was more than just three points at stake. 

Unfortunately, what should have been a thrilling blockbuster of a match, quickly evolved into a one-sided affair. When the OAU players took to the field, they were about 129 miles away from the comfort of Ife. This didn’t matter at all as they eventually beat their hosts 3-1 in a manner that seemed to suggest that they had played in Benin all their lives. They then proceeded to make light work of their brothers from Akungba by beating Adekunle Ajasin University  (AAUA) 2-nil to qualify for the next round of the Varsity Cup. 

Apart from the blessing of clinical forwards, the OAU team has a gaffer who is technically gifted and whose tactics are flexible enough to be modified mid-game. In their first game, OAU played  with a very high defensive line. As a result, the UNIBEN players apart from being repeatedly caught offside, were suffocated in their own half.

Against AAUA, however, OAU were content to patiently sit back and absorb the pressure, before hitting their opponent with deadly counter attacks. 

Asides this, the OAU team were well-coordinated when out of possession, with timely tackles and organized defending. The goalkeeper himself was rock solid and provided the impetus for his teammates to surge forward boldly. In fact, the goalkeeper earned himself the man-of-the-match award in their match against AAUA.

Seun Bello, in the number 14 jersey for the OAU team, stood out for more than just his shiny scalp. Bello’s limbs were all over the pitch, either tackling, making interceptions or just generally being a nuisance to the opposition. For his efforts, he has been rewarded with two yellow cards so far. 

Can OAU go all the way? It is too early to predict. But their chameleon-like adaptation would come in handy. For instance, in the match against UNIBEN, the OAU players went down easily under the slightest of contact. Either because they liked the taste of the UNIBEN grass or this was just another of their coach’s tactics because this petulance was curiously absent when they faced AAUA.

For now though, the Oduduwa descendants would bask in the satisfaction of qualifying for the knock-out stages as they await their semi-final opponent.