With just four games to the end of the 2023/24 NPFL season, New Enyimba FC Head Gaffer, Coach Yemi Olarenwaju Daniel has insisted the team will compete for their title till the end.
Reacting to Journalists after the People’s Elephant’ resounding victory against perennial rivals, Rivers United in the match day 34 encounter, Coach Yema said that though his team is not the favourites for the league, they will keep fighting till the end and enjoy themselves.
“You know like i said, we are taking every game one at a time, we are not the favourites for the league, Rangers and Remo are but we will compete till the end even though we don’t win it, it won’t be because we didn’t give our best but because it wasn’t our season.
“We won’t back down, we will go to Enugu, we respect them, we play our game, we want to enjoy our game either home or away. You can see the way the boys enjoyed the game today, we have to dominate and enjoy. Whatever ever comes out we take it”.
When asked why he subbed top scorer , Chijioke Obaoma who was on for a hat trick, Coach Yema said;
“The team’s interest is what we are after, he had two goals and I saw he wasn’t running again and making it easy for the center back to pick the second balls. So I had to sub him and put someone who can run because I wanted pressure on Rivers United.
“You could see while we were leading 4-1, I was still shouting at Joseph Atule and Bernard Ovoke, everybody has to do their job, we have to keep to our tactics of the game to the end.
On the Keeper, Ani Ozoemena playing out from the back and the formation at the back, Coach Yema exonerated Ani of the goal Enyimba conceeded but refused to reveal his tactical discipline.
He praised the teams general performance noting there is room for improvement.
“I didn’t play three from the back but let me start from Ani, he had a good game, the goal they scored wasn’t his fault, we would not rate him with that
“I think because he wants to pass at the back, he made one or two mistakes which for me is one of those things but he had a good game and it can only get better”,
“I didn’t play three at the back, I don’t want to say much about that, you know I don’t want to reveal my plans but while we are building up, there is a way we twist and that’s why it looks like that”,
“If you have seen every team I have handled nothing changes, you would see I like playing good Football. Sometimes if you can’t do it from the back, you have to let it go, even Madrid, you saw them yesterday (Saturday), when they pressed them so high, you see them play.
The young Gaffer who just returned from Scotland for his EUFA License B Certificate, however shared his experience with the press saying part of it was what they saw in the game against Rivers.
The People’s Elephant’ will next travel to Enugu on Sunday for a date with Rangers FC (the table toppers) for the match day 35 encounter.
The league defending champions are currently second on the log behind their next opponent with two points separating both Oriental teams. (Note that Enyimba is still appealing the two points deducted off their game against Doma United).
Source/Enyimba Media/Samson
