Opeyemi Hat-Trick Fires Flomat FC Past Family FA 4-2 in Abuja

Isiah Opeyemi scored a hat-trick as Flomat Football Club beat Family Football Academy 4-2 on Monday in the 2026 FCT Football Association (FCT FA) Division Two League at the Area 3 football pitch in Abuja.

 

The league, which began on Sept. 8, features 28 teams competing for promotion to Division One.

 

Flomat FC needed only a minute to go ahead, with Opeyemi opening the scoring. Family FA drew level in the 13th minute when Danladi Emmanuel found the net to make it 1-1.

 

Flomat regained the lead two minutes after the restart, as Joshua Anthony scored in the 47th minute. Opeyemi then added his second with a close-range finish in the 69th minute for 3-1.

 

Emmanuel pulled one back for Family FA in the 84th minute, his second goal of the match, to set up a tense finish at 3-2.

 

The match was settled in stoppage time. Flomat FC were awarded a penalty after a clash between players of both sides, and Opeyemi converted it in the 94th minute to complete his hat-trick and wrap up a 4-2 win.

 

 

Flomat FC's Team Manager, Abdulalazi Kadiri, said the result marked a clear step forward from the team's opening outing. He explained that Monday's fixture was only their second game, after a scheduled match was postponed.

 

"We lost our first game, and this is our first win and we have three more matches to play. From today's match, I can see improvement from the team. Right from the beginning, I saw the improvement," he said.

 

Kadiri described Opeyemi as one of the club's best players and urged the squad, who are in Group A, to stay focused for their three remaining matches.

 

Opeyemi credited his teammates for his three goals, saying the side had learnt from its opening defeat and worked on its weaknesses before the game.

 

"It is not an individual effort; it is a collective effort. Without the help of my teammates, I don't think I would have been able to do this today," he said.

 

Family Football Academy's Head Coach, Ibukun Ayeyemi, was unhappy with the refereeing and called for grassroots competitions to be taken more seriously.

 

"I think if we want football to grow in Nigeria, we should take it more seriously from the grassroots.

 

"This is a state league recognised by FIFA, so I would expect the officiating to be very good and not to be taken lightly as if it is a friendly match or a secondary school game," he said.

 

Ayeyemi alleged that the referee was inconsistent, claiming his side was denied two penalties and a free kick in the first half while similar decisions went in favour of their opponents.

 

Even so, he said his players must not rely on the referee and should create enough chances to overcome unfavourable calls.

 

"I always tell my players not to leave their game in the hands of the referee. If you need to score two goals, you score six. In case four are denied, the two will stand," he said.

 

The coach also pointed to weaknesses in his own team, naming tactical awareness, marking and defensive concentration as areas for improvement. He said some players were slow to pick up their opponents.

 

He added that injuries had hurt the campaign, with four players injured in the opening match and more casualties in the second game.

 

The loss was Family FA's third straight defeat, Ayeyemi said, after a 0-3 loss to Lamido FC and a 1-3 loss to Unified FC.

 

The academy has two matches left, against Eagles Wing FA and Sporting Dreams FC, for which no venue has yet been allocated.

 

Ayeyemi said this season was the academy's first appearance in the FCT league and an important platform for developing its young players.

 

According to the coach, the players have been together for eight years and are the current Under-17 champions of the Lugbe Community Society in Abuja. The team trains on a field by ACO Bridge in Lugbe.

 

He appealed for sponsorship and partnerships to support the academy, saying sustainable football development requires collaboration and adequate support.