Enyimba coach Fatai Osho was at his ebullient best while explaining how he tactically masterminded his side’s 1-0 win over neighbours Abia Warriors in a rescheduled Nigeria Professional Football league (NPFL) encounter in Okigwe on Thursday.
Red-hot striker Victor Mbaoma scored the winner after just 12 minutes – his 5th goal in 7 matches – to help Enyimba do the double over the Umuahia-based outfit in a game that was completed on Thursday morning after heavy downpour rendered the pitch unplayable on Wednesday evening.
The win is Enyimba’s fifth away from home this season – the most by any club in the league – and it moved the People’s Elephant to 5th on the NPFL standings, with 48 points from 27 matches (with a game in hand) and leaves them five points behind leaders Akwa United.
While praising the brilliance of the Abia Warriors side coached by former Super Eagles assistant coach and league winner with Rangers Imama Amapakabo, Osho equally hailed his side for sticking to their tactical game plan in the match.
“Oh yes! Excellent display, you can say that again,” said Osho, while reacting to the win. “The Abia Warriors team, a decent team at that, the way they play, you’ll want to fall in love with them.
“We knew the quality we were coming up against. We knew our work was cut out. The players are quite aware of this. It’s not easy beating them here, not many teams will be able to do that.
“But we want to also commend the resolve of our players to be tactically-disciplined. They stuck strictly to our tactical agreement. And that informed why you saw them being compact, pressing very quickly. And a whole lot of time on our break, we look good. Although we could have converted one or two other chances like that.
“But it is just a matter of sticking to the tactical agreement prior to the match,” the former Remo Stars tactician stated.
The two-time African champions will next face Plateau United on Sunday in a potentially explosive Matchday 29 NPFL encounter in Jos, as they continue their quest for a record-extending ninth league crown.
