Tarila Okorowanta, a former Nigeria international and current Team Manager of Bayelsa United, a Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, side, has exclusively told Completesports.com that there is no coaching vacancy at the 2009 NPFL title winners.
The 60-year-old former Flying Eagles winger, who scored Nigeria’s lone goal against Russia during the country’s maiden FIFA U20 World Cup finals appearance in Mexico ’83, was responding to Completesports.com inquiries about speculation concerning the fate of Ladan Bosso at the club.
This followed rumours linking Monday Odigie, Kennedy Boboye, and Imama Amapakabo with a possible move to Bayelsa United ahead of the 2025/2026 NPFL season, which kicks off on 22 August 2025.
Okorowanta was emphatic in his declaration that the team is intact and would regroup on Saturday, 28 June 2025, to begin preparations for the new season.
“Bayelsa United is intact, very much intact,” Okorowanta declared with utmost confidence.
“Right now, the team is on break and will reconvene on 28 June to prepare for the 2025/2026 season.
“It is when the team regroups that the technical crew will determine those to be retained and those to be recruited based on the team’s needs.”
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Bayelsa United went through a rough patch in the early part of last season, with a section of the fans calling for the sacking of Head Coach Ladan Bosso over poor results.
However, Bosso, who is also President of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, NFCA, dismissed the stance of the supporters, insisting that the team’s early-season struggles were due to issues with ‘blending and methodology adaptation’.
Reacting to speculation that Bosso, who signed a two-year contract upon arrival last term, is on his way out and could be succeeded by one of the trio of Imama Amapakabo (of Abia Warriors), Kennedy Boboye, or Monday Odigie (formerly of Bendel Insurance), Okorowanta said there is absolutely no truth to it.
“This rumour began when these coaches were sighted in Yenagoa during the final of the Bayelsa State Governor’s Cup,” Okorowanta explained.
“The organisers of the Governor’s Cup Tournament invited some ex-internationals — including Imama Amapakabo, Monday Odigie, Kennedy Boboye, Ladan Bosso and others.
“But unfortunately, some people began reading negative meanings into it, suggesting they were in Yenagoa for the Bayelsa United coaching job.
“The truth is that there’s nothing like that — Bayelsa United is very much intact,” Okorowanta reiterated.
By Sab Osuji
