Enyimba coach Usman Abd’Allah remains confident the Aba giants will finish in the top 3 in Group A of the 2019 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season despite a 1-0 loss to Rivers United, which ended the 11-match unbeaten streak of the 7-time league champions on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
The People’s Elephant remains 2nd in Group A standings with 28points from 18 matches, after Ossy Martins 13thminute strike condemned Abd’Allah’s men to their first defeat in three months.
With third-placed MFM FC breathing down their neck with 28 points (but with an inferior goals difference), the Chemical Engineering graduate is now hoping to quickly bounce back to winning ways and seal a place in the playoffs, while expressing disappointment with the defeat to the Pride of Rivers.
“It’s unfortunate we dropped the points here and couldn’t get something to go back home with,” the former Kano Pillars assistant coach told busybuddiesng.com after the match. “We could have gotten one point; the match could have gone either way, but we gave away a cheap goal.
“And I am not really satisfied with the game because our performance was a little bit below par. We didn’t show some eagerness going forward in the game. But all the same, it is not lost yet. Even if we had won the match today (Wednesday), the league is still open because we have about four matches to go.
“So, we are going back home to make sure we bag the three points at home (against Wikki Tourists) and continue picking up the points till we qualify. The goal is to qualify, and we’re sure by the grace of God, we’ll qualify,” he concluded.
The 2-time CAF Champions winners will next face Wikki Tourists, who handed them their penultimate defeat three months ago, on Sunday in Aba before games against Remo Stars (away), Niger Tornadoes (home) and Katsina United away from home on the final day of the regular season on 26 May.
The top 3 teams in groups A and B of the NPFL at the end of the current season will advance to a Super 6 playoff to determine the champions.
