Yemi Olanrewaju, head coach of Enyimba, has called the People’s Elephants’ run in the CAF Confederation Cup, Africa’s second-tier interclub competition, a “failure.”
He wants a successful response in their upcoming NPFL game against Sunshine Stars on Wednesday at Enyimba International Stadium in Aba.
In a Group D Matchday 2 match on Sunday, December 8, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Olanrewaju made the statement after the two-time African champions overcame a two-goal deficit to hold Egypt’s Zamalek to a 2-2 draw.
Prior to this, Enyimba had lost their Group D opener to Al Masry, another Egyptian team, 2-0. A clearly upset Olanrewaju bemoaned his team’s lost opportunities during the intense match.
“Yes, you’ve just said it. If you’re in school and score one out of six, you’ve definitely failed. So, for me, we’ve failed.
” Just a single point from a possible six is an absolute failure,” the young tactician admitted candidly.
“Even though everyone keeps saying we played very well, I don’t want that commendation anymore.
“I want maximum three points – that’s all I’m interested in.
“Honestly, today, we had the chance to kill off this game.
“At worst, it could have ended 4-2 in our favour. We had all the chances but couldn’t convert them. It’s crazy.
“This has been our story all season. I can boldly say we’re the best team in terms of organisation and overall play in Nigeria.
“We’ve played all the top clubs, yet we’ve been suffering from a lack of goals, especially in the last three games. It’s been giving me sleepless nights.”
In the fierce match against Zamalek, Enyimba was missing two important players. Clinton Jephta was ruled out mere hours before the game owing to an unidentified ailment, while Eze Ekwutoziam has been out for weeks due to injury.
As Enyimba get ready for their rescheduled NPFL Matchday 13 matchup against Sunshine Stars, Olanrewaju lamented their absence but found comfort in the performances of other players who grasped the chance to stand up.
“It was a real problem when I realised Jephta wasn’t going to play. I was furious. But it gave Austine Onyemachi a chance, and I think he did brilliantly, to be honest,” he said.
“To some extent, he did very well, and I’m impressed.
” However, I’m not happy about missing both of them for weeks.
“We need them. That said, their absence allowed others to step in, which fosters a sense of belonging for everyone.”
After their lacklustre international efforts, Enyimba will now turn their attention to their NPFL matchup against Sunshine Stars in Aba.
The match is a “must-win” for the nine-time league champions, according to Olanrewaju.
“We have to win—it’s a must-win game for us.
” I don’t know how, but we must win against Sunshine Stars, honestly,” he enthused.
“Our backs are against the wall, and we have to push back.
“Since the Rangers game, which we deserved to win but had a goal shockingly disallowed, I don’t think I’ve slept more than five hours.
“A lot of people don’t care about the effort we’ve put in; they only care about results, which, for me, is the most important thing.
“So we must go all out against Sunshine Stars and get the win.
“It’s very important for the team and everyone involved.
“It’s especially important for the players’ efforts to be rewarded.”
