Sports
Matching Enyimba’s Success, Challenging – Coach Ogunbote
The new head coach of Enyimba FC of Aba, Gbenga Ogunbote, yesterday said that matching the club’s previous success under him was challenging due to the club’s daunting pedigree.
The Tidesport gathered that Ogunbote was employed by the management of the Elephants of Aba to replace Paul Aigbogun, citing poor results.
The seven times league winners, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2015, had an uninspiring campaign in the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) with 12th place finish on the log.
The people’s Elephants, four times champions of FA Cup 2005, 2009, 2013, 2014, also lost to Nasarawa United in semi-finals of the FA Cup in Ibadan in 2016.
The two-time back to back CAF Champions League winner could not replicate their earlier competition results crashing out in the group stage, winning just one game.
The management of the Aba Warlords have given Ogunbote charge to get the team back to its winning ways.
Ogunbote said that it would be most challenging replicating the success Enyimba had recorded giving the pedigree of the club.
“Enyimba is a club with a rich history and pedigree, it will be challenging replicating those successes but I think it is achievable with the right attitude.
“Other clubs are also jealous of Enyimba’s successes and they are trying to emulate us. It is also a challenge to them because of the team’s status.
“The pedigree is so great because they are known to be winning laurels both locally and internationally, so, we will have to work harder to keep the tradition.
“The pre-season training is how to get them back on track because many of the players left and we have employed the services of better
replacements,’’ he said.
Ogunbote said that the Enyimba’s coaching job had been on the table about four seasons’ ago, adding that he was ready to give his best to reposition the team.
“The contract for Enyimba’s job has been in the pipelines for about four seasons ago; I thank God it materialised this season.
“Anytime the management comes for me, it is either I have been contracted by other clubs or something beyond me.
“Going to Enyimba is a good challenge for me and I am ready for such with my vast experience about the league,’’ he said.
It would be recalled that Ogunbote had previously coached Sunshine Stars of Akure, the team he helped to become runners-up in the NPFL, he also
coached Giwa FC of Jos.
The highly experienced gaffer also coached Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, while he last handled Shooting Stars Club of Ibadan (3SC), helping them out of relegation twice in the NPFL.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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