Abia Warriors assistant coach Bethel Orji has attributed the club’s poor start to the new Nigeria Premier Football League ,NPFL, season to costly defensive mistakes.
The Umuahia-based side came from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against Ikorodu City in their Matchday 3 encounter at the Enyimba Stadium, Aba, on Sunday.
The result means Abia Warriors are still searching for their first victory of the season, having picked just two points from a possible nine. They have also conceded six goals in their opening three matches while scoring only twice.
Defensive Errors Costing Abia Warriors
Orji, who took charge of the team in the absence of head coach Imama Amapakabo, expressed his frustration with the defensive lapses that have contributed to the team’s poor start.
According to him, most of the goals Abia Warriors have conceded this season have resulted from avoidable errors by their defenders.
“It’s a big worry. We’ve been doing what we’re supposed to do to ensure that we stop conceding unnecessary goals because, you see, all the goals we’ve conceded have been gifted,” Orji told reporters after the game.
“It’s the defenders who gift them away. They give away the balls for the opponents to score against us.
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“Like the second goal we conceded today, you saw it. Instead of clearing the ball, the defenders just stood there before the opposing striker pounced on it and put it into our net.”
Orji Reflects on Ikorodu City Draw
Despite the disappointing result, Orji praised the players for showing fighting spirit to come back from two goals down and earn a point.
“It was a very good match. There’s fighting spirit in the boys, and I appreciate what they did. It wasn’t an easy game for us, but thank God it ended in a draw,” he said.
“We have to perfect our scoring strategy because we missed a lot of scoring opportunities.”
Warriors Target Points On The Road
With two consecutive away fixtures against Sporting Lagos and Kano Pillars ahead, Orji insisted that Abia Warriors would be aiming to return with maximum points.
“Nothing short of victory. We will prepare for the two games, making sure that we do our best to ensure that we get points from the two fixtures,” Orji added.
“Like now, we’ve played Ikorodu City, who came here and picked a point. In the same way, it won’t be impossible for us to also go there, to Sporting Lagos and Kano Pillars, and get those three points.”
By Sab Osuji
