FC Babington took a significant leap toward securing a spot in the semi-finals of the Bet9ja Foundation Ex-Internationals Cup with a dominant 7-0 victory over FC Giwa in the first leg of their quarter-final clash at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Monday.
Following a tightly contested first half, Babington finally broke through just two minutes before halftime with a spectacular curling volley from Bada Moses, leaving goalkeeper Isiaka Basit with no chance. Moments later, substitute Farouk Salami pounced on a loose ball in the box to double the lead, sending the visitors into the break with a strong advantage.
Babington came out for the second half with even greater intensity and quickly widened the margin. Salami capitalized on a defensive error to net his second goal in the 47th minute, while Sodiq Akinbuyi added a fourth just three minutes later with a thunderous volley as FC Giwa’s defense struggled to contain the onslaught.
Salami continued his standout performance by completing his hat-trick before the 60th minute. Latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Oyekanmi Odunayo, Salami skillfully bypassed his marker and slotted the ball past Basit with composure, putting the game well out of reach.
Giwa’s difficult afternoon worsened further when Ikechukwu Peter converted a penalty in the 70th minute to extend the scoreline to 6-0. Although Giwa managed a late chance through Patrick Onyemaka, Babington keeper Itodo Ocheme preserved his clean sheet with a sharp save.
Three minutes from time, Salami capped off his extraordinary performance by scoring his fourth goal of the match, sealing an emphatic 7-0 triumph. The dominant display leaves FC Babington in full control heading into Friday’s return leg and on track for a spot in the competition’s semi-finals.
