Imama Amapakabo, Head Coach of Abia Warriors, has expressed delight at the goal contributions of strikers Sunday Megwo and Anthony Ijoma as the club pushes for its first-ever CAF interclub competition ticket, Completesports.com reports.
The duo have contributed 20 goals so far in the campaign, with each netting 10 goals in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
While Megwo has provided four assists, Ijoma has contributed three.
Ijoma scored his 10th goal of the season in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Rivers United at the Umuahia Township Stadium in a matchday 33 fixture. His 74th-minute strike doubled the home side’s lead after Emmanuel Ogbuagu had opened the scoring for Amapakabo’s side from a set-piece 30 yards out.
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When asked about the scoring impact of the two forwards in Abia Warriors’ quest for a maiden CAF Champions League or CAF Confederation Cup slot, Amapakabo responded that it is always a delight to have two strikers capable of contributing over 20 goals and assists in a season.
“I’m glad to have such strikers. We need to get results somehow. People need to score goals for us to be able to get those results, and I’ve got two players who can contribute over 20 goals, including assists — which is a big plus for the team,” Amapakabo stated.
“I hope they keep it coming. The rivalry and camaraderie between them is wonderful, and I hope it continues until the end of the season.”
Sunday’s win over second-placed Rivers United means Amapakabo’s side have now narrowed the gap between them and Finidi George’s Pride of Rivers to just two points.
However, when asked if Abia Warriors can overtake Rivers United in second place and snatch a CAF Champions League slot as the season nears its end, Amapakabo said the top three positions remain up for grabs with five matches to go.
He added: “Like I said, there are 15 points still to play for. If the team currently at the top of the table — Remo Stars — fail to win any of their remaining five games, and one of the other teams within range win all their five, the picture will change completely.
“This is football. The beauty of it is that anything can happen. So, like I always say, today is gone. We just pause, put it under our belt, and the celebration stops here. We look ahead to the next game.
“We just need to run as fast as we possibly can to get the results that will keep us where we want to be.”
Amapakabo admitted this is a crucial stage in the race for a CAF Champions League or Confederation Cup ticket.
“Yes, I really think so. With five games to go and 15 points available, it’s still too early to make any final conclusions. It was a difficult game today, and we had to dig deep to get the result we deserved,” he said.
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“It’s about focus, hard work and concentration — especially in these remaining five matches.”
The former junior international goalkeeper also revealed there was a bit of a ‘mind game’ between him and his ‘friend’, Finidi George, right after Abia Warriors took the lead via Ogbuagu’s extraordinary first-half stoppage-time free-kick.
He added that he was happy the psychological battle tilted in his favour.
“We’ve known each other since childhood. We know what each of us is capable of. He threw the dice, just like I did.
“Fortunately, it swung in my favour today. I must say congratulations to him and his team. They’re also doing very well. They’re just two points behind us now, but we’ll keep on chasing,” Amapakabo concluded.
By Sab Osuji
