Sports
There’ll Be No Margin For Error In Playoffs – Enyimba’s Coach
Enyimba technical adviser, Usman Abd’Allah, has said that they will have to be at their best to stand a chance at the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) playoffs.
Enyimba ensured qualification for the six-team tournament on the final day of the NPFL first round, finishing third in group A despite losing 1-2 to Katsina United away.
While restating the team’s aim of claiming silverware and obtaining a continental ticket at the playoffs, Abd’Allah warns that the group must remain focused on task at hand.
“We have scaled through the first stage by qualifying for the super six and now we are in the final stage of the season.
“This is the stage where we have to achieve those two goals we set at the beginning of the season, that’s getting back into the continent and hopefully winning a trophy.
“We will go back and start preparing more because we need to have very good concentration to move on. We have to go back and prepare very well, get more focused and then give everything and sacrifice.
“This sacrifice has to come from both sides, from the club, from the management, from the players, from the supporters and also from the coaches so that we can achieve this.
“We are at the final stage and we have to get prepared very well and avoid any mistake. This is a place where we can’t afford any mistake to achieve these goals”, he said.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.