Abia Warriors head coach Imama Amapakabo says his side exploited Bendel Insurance’s unexpected tactical change to secure a convincing home victory in Sunday’s NPFL fixture.
A brace from Chukwuemeka Obioma and a further goal by Ettah Ikoi gave Abia Warriors a 3-0 win and ended a difficult run that had begun with a 2-0 defeat away to Barau FC last Wednesday.
Speaking to league expert Fisayo Dairo, Amapakabo said his team had been prepared for a different system from Bendel Insurance.
“I like it when I play against teams that we’ve had the opportunity to play against in friendlies during the friendly window,” he said.
“They came – we were thinking they were going to come in a 4-3-3 formation – but they came out with a 4-2-4 formation. As I told my players, they emptied their midfield, and we had a formation where we had to congest our midfield. It was a plus for us.”
Amapakabo said Abia Warriors could have scored considerably more before half-time but failed to take advantage of several opportunities.
“I think it would have been five or six goals in the first half. Unfortunately, we didn’t convert most of the chances that came our way,” he added.
The result lifted Abia Warriors to ninth in the league table on eight points.
Rebuilding the squad
Amapakabo also addressed his team’s tendency to struggle at the start of campaigns before finding greater consistency.
He said the club had been forced to rebuild after losing a large number of players, making it difficult for the new squad to develop an understanding immediately.
“Most times people don’t understand that I rebuild almost every other year. This year I lost about 18 of my players and we have to start rebuilding again,” Amapakabo said.
“When you are rebuilding, most times it’s difficult for the players to blend, but gradually the players are beginning to gel and beginning to understand the philosophy. We’ll keep on going.
“Like I always tell them, it’s a league season; it’s not a Cup game.”
Abia Warriors’ next challenge will come as they continue to develop the team during the league campaign, with Amapakabo stressing the need for patience while his players adapt to his approach.