Rooney scores stunner in Everton win
Pillars’ Ali wins 7th VAT Wonder Goal award
Wa y n e Rooney marked his Everton return with a stunning goal as they beat Gor Mahia 2-1 in their opening pre-season game yesterday.
Making his first official appearance for the Toffees since leaving the club for Manchester United in 2004, Rooney opened the scoring in Tanzania with a long-range effort on 34 minutes.
Kenyan Premier League leaders Gor Mahia responded immediately through Jacques Tuyisenge before Kieran Dowell won the match with a brilliant 25-yard strike.
Ronald Koeman named Rooney and fellow recruit Davy Klaassen in his starting line-up, while Aaron Lennon returned for his first appearance since February following treatment for a stress-related illness. The Dutchman changed his entire XI at half-time, handing a debut to new arrival Michael Keane.
It was a dream return for Rooney, who lasted 45 minutes before Ronald Koeman changed his entire XI at half-time, with debuts too for new signings Davy Klaassen and Michael Keane.
Everton created little in a sloppy first half but went ahead thanks to a moment of magic by Rooney ten minutes before half-time.
The former England captain, resigned from United earlier this week, rolled back the years with a super strike from 30 yards that left goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch grasping at thin air.
But poor marking by Everton from a Gor Mahia corner led to an immediate reply as Tuyisenge nodded in at the near post. Kano Pillars midfielder, Rabiu Ali has clinched the Match Day 26 VAT Wonder Goal award, beating off opposition from Tchato Giscard of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) FC, while Abia Warriors’ Yakub Hammed finished a distant third in the online polling conducted on the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) website and twitter handle.
Of the total of 196 voters on the NPFL twitter account, @LMCNPFL , 101 endorsed the goal Ali scored away from home in Ilorin against Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) FC in a 1-1 draw while another 53 voted Tchato Giscard’s volley against Sunshine Stars at the Agege Stadium in MFM 2-1 defeat of the Akure Gunners. Abia Warriors Yakub secured the remaining 42 votes.
58 fans who voted on the NPFL website, www.npfl.ng preferred Tchato, 49 for Ali and just 3 for Yakub. The Kano Pillars ace thus secured a total of 150 votes while Tchato picked 111 and Yakub 45.
Niyi Oyeleke, General Manager, Production at Supersports said each of the players nominated deserved the award adding that, “however, being a competition in which fans choose their preferred goal, one person is bound to win and Ali is hugely deserving of this award”.
Ali becomes the 7th VAT Wonder Goal Award winner following Ayo Saka of Rivers United, Ubong Friday of Akwa United and Salefu Ochowechi of Remo Stars. The other are Seka Paschal of FC IfeanyiUbah, Ahmed Usman of Wikki Tourists and Shedrack Asiegbu of Abia Warriors. Winners receive a cash reward of N150, 000 half of which is donated to a Charity of his choice located within the state where the club is based. Ali is expected to be presented his award at a ceremony to hold before the start of their Match Day 29 fixture against Rangers International at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano this Sunday.
The VAT Wonder Goal is a Social Investment initiative of the League Management Company (LMC) to promote clubs and community engagement and supported by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) to promote tax education amongst the football community.