Nasarawa United technical adviser Mbwas Mangut criticised his side’s missed chances and disputed penalty decisions after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Rivers United in the Euromatch NPFL on Sunday.
The Solid Miners fell behind in the 68th minute when centre-back Harrison Ebah accidentally turned the ball into his own net while attempting to clear it.
Nasarawa United responded by increasing the pressure and were awarded a penalty seven minutes from full time after Habibu Alakija was brought down inside the area.
Substitute Musa Yakubu took responsibility and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot to equalise and earn the home side a point.
Mangut said he was disappointed with the final score despite seeing signs of progress in his team’s performance.
“It was a well-balanced game, and both sides expressed themselves. We conceded from a defensive error, but we were able to come back into the game,” Mangut told the club’s media.
“I’m not happy with the scoreline, but I’ve seen a lot of improvement in my team. We kept pressing until the error came, and even after conceding, we continued to push forward.”
The Nasarawa United technical adviser also questioned the officials’ failure to award his side two penalties before Yakubu’s successful effort.
He believed the first incident occurred in the opening half, when a Rivers United player pulled one of his players by the shoulder as he moved clear on goal. Mangut said a second offence involved a player being fouled from behind inside the penalty area.
“As far as I’m concerned, there were three penalties in our favour in this match. One came in the first half when they pulled my player by the shoulder when he was clear on goal. The other was when our player was fouled from behind inside the box.”
Mangut acknowledged that Nasarawa United had conceded through their own defensive mistake but praised the response that followed. His side continued to attack after Rivers United took the lead and eventually drew level through Yakubu’s penalty.
The result left Mangut frustrated by the opportunities his team failed to convert, although he maintained that the performance showed improvement.