NPFL: Plateau United Ready For New Season, Ilechukwu Declares (AUDIO)

Plateau United coach Fidelis Ilechukwu has expressed his team’s readiness for the commencement of the 2021/22 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season, tentatively slated to kick-off on 17 December.

The 2017 NPFL champions are scheduled to face newly-promoted Niger Tornadoes away in Kaduna in their opening game of the season, before a home game against Kwara United on Boxing Day (26 December).

Speaking exclusively to www.busybuddiesng.com, the former MFM coach stated that the Peace Boys are 80% ready for the new season while hoping to start on a good footing.

“We are ready, we’re ready,” he stressed. “I know in the next two weeks we’ll be 80% ready, and when a club is 80% ready, possibly, the team is ready.

“We are going to be ready because assuming the league started in November (as earlier scheduled), we won’t give excuses for not playing in the league.

“So, adjusting it to December 17th is also giving us a little advantage to prepare our team very well to make sure we get the desired results.”

Ilechukwu, who joined Plateau United from Heartland in August, added that he has good players at the Jos-based side, who he hopes will adapt to his coaching philosophy and tactics.

“It’s very important that we have very good players, but the most important thing is not having good players but you need to look at the philosophy,” the former Heartland coach added. “How easy can they adapt, how can they understand, how can they implement? What are the qualities; the kind of players you have?

“Are they going to master what you have to put on the ground or are you going to change a little bit, because there is not enough time for what you want to achieve?

“So, these are things a coach have to look into before trying to implement so many things.

“I can tell you that we have very, very good players on the ground, but we are working very, very hard so that before 15th (December), at least, the team will be ready.”