Wikki Tourists fans would still be trying to figure out what went wrong with their championship run even as the club by Sundaywill play to win but knowing their fate lie in other results in Uyo and Agege. The Tourists has watched with despair as their stiff chase for the title has been reduced to a prayer for divine intervention to a possible finish in second place.
The season ends this Sunday and the battle for the title is in Enugu and Uyo with most eyes affixed on the proceedings between Rangers of Enugu and El-Kanemi Warriors at the Cathedral. Fourth placed Wikki Tourist need a win over Sunshine Stars and would all through be praying that both FC IfeanyiUbah and Rivers United(the two teams are away) slip in their fixtures in Lagos and Uyo. Such a result will pave their way to second place and access to the second CAF Championship slot. Simply put; their destiny is not in their own hands.
Tipped as one of the favorites to win the title, Wikki started perfectly with an away win against El-Kanemi Warriors at the Karkanda Stadium in Katsina on match day one, then a home draw against Heartland and they maintained a good run which saw them top the table at some point before the mid season break. At match day 20, the Bauchi Elephants stayed at the top for seven match days and this must have given their fans and followers of the league a whiff of the title coming to the North East club for the first time in their history.
Toppled by Rangers on Match Day 27, they seized top spot again on Match Day 28 and were again nudged off by Rangers until Match Day 32 when they stormed back to the top but could not stay after the next match, It was their last time to enjoy the pole position and their followers will still be pondering,'what went wrong". Where did it go wrong for a team that has conceded 28, the lowest number of goals and scored 43 (only Rangers, Sunshine Stars, Akwa United and Kano Pillar) have scored more?
But many had applauded Coach Abdu Maikaba's decision and ability to retain almost all the players that campaigned for Wikki in their return to the NPFL last season. From goalkeeper Emeka Nwabulu to Centre back Abubakar Musa and Peter Ambrose, full backs Mustapha Ibrahim, Festus Umanah and Christopher Waziri and off course top scorer Godwin Obaje among others, Maikaba was able to build an enterprising team that has fought all the way this term.
With few new arrivals like striker Abubakar Lawan, Wikki were able to find the right balance playing free flowing football especially in midfielder were Uche Martins and Idris Sabo anchored their sleek passing movement which wrecked opponents deploying largely counter offensive play.
"Is not this year's job, began Maikaba in a chat with npfl.ng. "We started the job last year and what we did this year is mere continuation from where we stopped last year and that gave us the edge over other clubs. We will continue next season with majority of the players that worked with us because it has worked so well for us", Maikaba continued.
The decision may have yielded positively at least for most period of the season and in some of the players, the outcome was awesome as some of them such as forwards Godwin Obaje and Abubakar Lawan scored 24 goals between them. Obaje has turned out the favorite to end the season as top scorer with18 goals.
The slide sent in after Match Day 27 and it was in a match against then rivals, Rangers in a rescheduled fixture that ended 0-0 in Bauchi. In another rescheduled game against Lobi Stars, they played 1-1, a result many believe put to end their title ambitions. Further defeats to Nassarawa United at the Aper Aku Stadium Makurdi where they surrendered a lead on 89 minutes to concede two dealt them a big blow.
But Maikaba seem to have a handle on what went amiss. As he explains "the problem we had towards the end is that some players we built the team around, particularly the key midfield players were lost to injury and it affected our running. We lost Uche Martins at the early stage of the season then Idris Sabo, Idris Sabo is unique, those are players we built the team around.
"We brought new players in mid season to replace them but you know we have to give them time before they catch up with the team and to play like the injured players, but all the same they gave their best"
Obaje the league's leading scorer admits things hasn't been right with the club and stated that, "my target was to win the league and be the leading scorer but I am disappointed and down with the turn of events now.
"All the same,I thank God, we will work and see we pick a continental ticket, This is the best set of players I have worked it, they made me have those goals, without them I wouldn't have achieved" he added.
While waiting for the final match day and as disappointing as most of the fans are, some are satisfied with their performance as expressed by one of the strong club supporter Rotimi Samson who said "I am satisfied because if you look at the top four teams Wikki is no where near them in terms of financial muscle. They have tried their best"
So will Wikki end in the continent? That of course will be a consolation to the fans who all through believed that the title will be theirs but Maikaba is offering a weighted assurance, "we still have a chance of breaking last year's record".
It will be a huge disappointment for a team that stayed top for most of the time than any other club and have so far amassed 15 wins, 9 draws garnering 54 points, to end like they did last season. But one thing is clear - their destiny is not in their hands.