Abia Warriors goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo has hailed the return of coach Emmanuel Deutsch to the club, describing the Cameroonian as a huge motivating influence to his players.
Last month, Deutsch dumped NPFL new boys, Delta Force to stage a surprise comeback to relegation-threatened Abia Warriors, where he worked last season, replacing Henry Makinwa.
And on Sunday, Abia Warriors followed up their impressive 3-0 win against FC Ifeanyi Ubah in Umuahia with a stunning 4-2 thrashing of Eastern neighbours, Heartland in Okigwe in a Matchday 19 fixture in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), to boost their chances of escaping the dreaded drop.
Speaking after the shock win against Heartland, the 22-year-old shot stopper attributed the impressive run of the side to the return of Deutsch.
“I think the coming back of the coach, Emmanuel Deutsch brought a big motivation to the team, you know,” the former Enyimba goalkeeper said. “The way he plays with us, talks with us, laughs with us, encourages us. We had to bring out our best and play.”
Despite Sunday’s big win against Heartland in Okigwe, the Umuahia-based outfit remained in the relegation zone in Group B of the NPFL log on 10th spot with 24 points from 19 games, just one point away from safety with three matches to the end of the regular season.
However, the former Flying Eagles goaltender believes Abia Warriors will escape the drop.
“There is a lot of hope (we can escape relegation) because the remaining four or three games, we think we are going to pick the maximum points,” he said when asked if he is optimistic his team will escape relegation this season.
