The IBB Cup delivered another absorbing contest at the IBB Polo Ground in Minna as Profile Kaduna edged Malcomines 5-4 in a thrilling first-leg encounter that leaves the tie delicately poised ahead of the return clash.
Profile Kaduna brought together an impressive combination of experience and international quality, with Iranian star Ameer Reza joining Georgian Cup winners A. Mohammed and Lado Aliyu, alongside Abdullahi Nura. Standing in their way was a formidable Malcomines featuring Fernando, Isa Kwame, Idi Badamasi and Ashraf Yahya.
The nine-goal battle produced plenty of intensity, with neither side willing to surrender ground. Profile Kaduna ultimately found enough to claim the narrow advantage, but a one-goal lead leaves Malcomines with every reason to believe the tie can still be turned around.
For Reza, the Minna experience was about more than the match itself. Speaking to YaxSportlens after the game, the Iranian player reflected on his meeting with El-Amin patron Muhammad Babangida, describing him simply as “a very nice man.”
Asked if he had a message for the patron, Reza expressed his appreciation, thanking him for everything and speaking warmly about the horses he had the opportunity to ride.
“He is a very nice man. Thank you for everything. I rode his horses and they are amazing horses.”
The praise carries particular significance in a sport where the quality of the horse can shape the quality of the game, and Reza's experience offered another glimpse into the hospitality and horsemanship surrounding Nigerian polo.
But the attention now shifts back to the IBB Cup, where Profile Kaduna have secured the advantage but Malcomines remain firmly within touching distance. With only one goal separating the sides after the first leg, the second meeting promises another opportunity for the Malcomines quartet to overturn the deficit or for Profile Kaduna to finish what they started.
One goal separates them, and the second leg will decide who takes the next step.
