Head coach of Akwa United, John Obuh, says that his mandate to lead the Promise Keepers to win their first ever league title this term is not a tall order, Completesports.com reports.
Obuh was formally unveiled on Wednesday as head of Akwa United technical crew.
He will make his debut as the gaffer of the the two-time Federation (Aiteo) Cup winners on Sunday when they face home side, the newly promoted Warri Wolves.
Formed in 1986, Akwa United are yet to win the Nigeria’s top tier football league, hence a clear cut order this term for the coach to lead this new generation of players to a historic title win.
“Title mandate, for me, is not a tall order,” Obuh said with an air of confidence.
“It’s [winning the league trophy] a project everybody is so much interested in achieving.
“The new players, 15 of them, the old players, the coaches that have just come, like myself and my assistant [Duke Udi] and the ones that were on ground before we came, everybody is working very hard.
“We think we can do it. Yes, we can.”
Obuh and his backroom staff would write their names in gold if this first ever league title project is successfully accomplished.
Coaches like Maurice Cooreman – a Belgian, Zachary Baraje and Abdul Maikaba, had come, aspired but failed to deliver the NPFL title.
The most successful of the trio is Baraje who lifted the Federation [Aiteo] Cup in 2015 and Maikaba, the apostle of tiki-taka football who also won the domestic cup in 2017.
Completesports.com recalls that Akwa United’s closest attempt to winning their first NPFL title was in the 2019 abridged season when they finished top of Group B log.
But during the six-team Championahip playoffs at Agege Stadium last June, they finished fourth, one spot shy of the top three continental mark, no thanks to a 3-0 defeat to eventual title winners, Enyimba, on the final day.
Perhaps, in an effort to break the jinx, Akwa United hired former Flying Eagles coach John Obuh and ex Nigeria international, Duke Udi as his assistant.
The club also spent handsomely during the summer transfer window which saw the arrival of15 new players, Dare Ojo, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Samuel Matthias, goalkeeper Bassey Akpan and ex-league top scorer Orok Akarandut.
“We’ve done quite a lot in terms of preparation. And we hope to do the best we can in the season to achieve our set objectives,” Obuh who last coached Kwara United said.
“Yes, opening game of the season is very important and we hope to give it our best to ensure we started the season on a good note.”
By Sab Osuji
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