Ahead of their second leg semi final fixture in the Aiteo Cup on Wednesday, Technical Adviser of FC IfeanyiUbah Yaw Preko has warned that the clash against Niger Tornadoes is far from over, stating that the defending Champions are poised to cancel the deficit they suffered in the first leg in Lokoja.
Tornadoes came back from two goals down to record an impressive and surprise 4-2 win against the ‘Anambra Warriors’ in the first leg last Saturday, to take control of the two-legged tie which will be decided in Nnewi, home ground of the Cup Holders tomorrow.
But the former Black Stars of Ghana striker who attributed the first leg collapse to an inexperienced backline he paraded on the day, stated his team will take full advantage of their familiarity with their home turf to overcome the Abubakar Bala-tutored side.
“It’s going to be a cracker here (Nnewi), trust me, it’s going to be a cracker,” Preko promised. “Because if we managed to score two goals in their home ground, just imagine how many we are going to score here.
“Football is not mathematics but I know what my team is capable of. This is our home ground; this is Nnewi. We know our field; we know how to attack opponents on our field. So we are hoping for a good game on Wednesday, it’s not done yet.
“They have come to the Lion’s den. They got us on the astro turf, now they are coming to the grass. We are grass Champions. So we have to take the home advantage and then, use it.”
The former Everton and Fenerbahce forward also called on fans of the club to throw their weight behind the team, adding that the boys are equally optimistic of overturning the first leg deficit.
“They (fans) should come in their numbers and we will not disappointment them,” the 42-year old promised.
“The boys are in high spirit, they really believe that something went wrong when we conceded those goals (in the first leg) and we’ve gone back to the drawing board to put things in order. We know that scoring two (unreplied) goals at home won’t be difficult for us.
“This is FA Cup (Aiteo Cup) for you and anything can happen. We just have to be ready for it,” he stated.
The other 2nd leg of the semi final will be played on Sunday in Uyo between 2015 Champions, Akwa United and Sunshine Stars. The ‘Owena Waves’ hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg over the ‘Promise Keepers’.
Winners of that tie will face either FC IfeanyiUbah or Niger Tornadoes in the final on Sunday, 15th October, 2017 at the Agege Township Stadium (Soccer Temple) in Lagos. The champions will in addition to going home with a N25m prize-money, represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup next year.
