By Daily Sports on June 17, 2019

It is very significant to note that I arrived to devote this highly read page to write on NPFL Super 6 competition and its 2019 Champions,  the very never say die and focused team, Enyimba International Football Club of Aba, Abia State. It was however not an easy decision after weighing many options and also considering the kind of league Nigeria runs (in fact what I have oftentimes described as lame duck in a different forum), the one that is pointedly managed by inept administrators that only listen to themselves.

Nevertheless, I decided to jump on the desk to do justice by highlighting this week, the Agege Stadium NPFL Super 6 which curtain was drawn last week but not without avoidable and shameful controversies driven by violence and spearheaded by who else than Kano Pillars captain Rabiu Alli and its bloodthirsty supporters.

To be honest with you, the teams that made it to the playoffs represented top rate of the local championship, therefore one expected highly competitive championship which we, of course, saw that not only thrilled, drilled the fans but also produced enough suspense which is the climax when top teams meet in the field playing the round leather game.

Let me also confess that I had not wanted to “waste” my dear precious time to watch the games after that oriental opener between Enyimba and Rangers full of suspense, thrilling, drilling, nitty-gritty and all. Yet something about the game prompted the football in me to sit back and in the process the bug caught up with me, as I followed it like religion through the entire match that even the ‘spoil and kill the game’ behaviour from Rabiu Alli and his gang of armed thugs that invaded the pitch did not make me regret the time spent.

It was the height of naked indiscipline and nasty display of their usual and silly arrogance that they are above the law (and by extension, which is their worst nightmare that the country is theirs). In the 21st century game, what I saw kept me spellbound on my seat watching these half-baked and ill-informed players on the field dangling dangerous weapons and it reminded me of two occasions in Jos and the same Kano when this team was Raccah Rovers. In that particular league, all hell was let loose on the visiting players, their fans, team officials and match officials.

Policemen just like the other day were extremely helpless. Kano fans are primed to violence and they don’t want to know or observe the rules of the game. Many match officials are aware of such negative attitude, intimidation et al and because of fears of being manhandled or possibly killed, they close their eyes to obvious lapses against the home team, simply because of the dare consequences thereafter.

Veterans, analysts, pundits, players, administrators and sundry are aware of that slaughter ground that is now Sanni Abacha Stadium, Kano. Those hooligans do not merit mention on this revered page but one cannot write about this year’s champions Enyimba or Super Six without touching the barbaric act of these boys from Northern Nigeria that has bluntly refused to imbibe and embrace civility in their ways but sadly still enmesh themselves in bloody violence which of course is never exclusive to them.

Let me go a bit further to say that both Rabiu Alli and his likes that invaded the field and went straight fighting and displaying dangerous weapons are so senseless and uncivilised otherwise have they ever wondered why supporters of FC Ifeanyi Uba did not hit the roof when a penalty was awarded against them in the last game against same violent prone Kano Pillars.

If you look at the records you will notice that violence is not the exclusive privilege of any part of the country. For us in the south, we don’t see it as the last option rather we love to exercise restraint, maturity, great sense of responsibility, civilisation and foremost, fear of God in every sense of the word because the Bible tells us not to kill our fellow human being knowing that human life is sacred.

It is never an act of cowardice or anything near such. The aggressors know what we can do when our anger boils over. The good news at the end of the day is that Enyimba International FC of Aba carried the day. Enyimba is the master of the NPFL. It has the most experienced administrator in club football in the land.

The team also has depth and charisma. It relies on its wealth of experience to pull out its joker when it mattered most and such strategy came to play at the recently concluded Super 6 NPFL summit, bringing forth to her, the 8th crown as Champions.

Enyimba thus is the most successful club side in the land. It has enormous pedigree and influence in the continent and if the management, staff, supporters and players plan their outing well, this time nothing will make the Enyimba outfit lose sleep rather they will against all odds be stronger as the Peoples Elephant squad.

I know Anyansi Agwu led management would look in-depth and know where and where the squad is weak and pick stronger legs to fortify such, to enable the technical crew led by Abdullahi to perform some magic.

The strategy the bench employed in their last game against Akwa placed the Promise Keepers in a tight corner that before they could say, Ronaldo, Enyimba team has gone home and dry.  Even the first match against the Rangers team being handled by master strategist, Ogunbote disarmed the flying antelopes, making them play the entire ball while the Aba boys clinched the price when it mattered most.

Felix Anyansi Agwu and company should plan this African continent outing well and better. This is not saying that their outing at Confederations Cup level was too disappointing, No!  Enyimba is rated in the continent than any Nigerian club side and the stuff with which the two times back to back winner of CAF Champions League is made of must be in full display.

With planning and precision execution, fluke outing would be thoroughly avoided. Enyimba requires the best to further prove that the team is never noisy about what it has up its sleeves. Action speaks louder than words. Yes, I did not give the team any chance not because of anything but it was what my mind told me at that particular time until I watched their first outing which helped to boost their rising confidence because for a side to defeat Rangers Ogunbote’s International FC, that team handler and his boys must be wizards. Ogunbote is known for his always tight match tactics and for that chance that Enyimba utilised that nailed the Coal City warlords remain the last straw and it is a coach that knows his onions that can bounce back and finish at the position Rangers did.

If you watched the Super Six with all your mind and heart, you will agree with the writer that the teams have a solid squad and it showed that the teams invested much on the hiring of solid players into their fold.

Look at Akwa United that lured Enyimba’s captain Mfon Udo and others. Incidentally, his presence was not felt in the game as Enyimba spanked Akwa 3-0. He did not make much difference or impact against the expectations and strategies by the bench. As he is assumed to know the weak points of his immediate past team maybe they also forgot that so also do his colleagues know him too?

Aside from the inglorious and dark part Rabiu Alli and his fellow sons of darkness unleashed on the Champ, it was exciting, friendly, improved with hopes rising. I enjoyed it as it afforded me the opportunity to interact and exchange pleasantries’ with many good old colleagues and some administrators we have only chatted with on WhatsApp, Facebook and telephone.

Let me say that the action against Kano Pillars and the architect of the needless invasion of the pitch by the thugs and Rabiu Alli is welcomed but the punishment should have been stricter. The offence is obviously unacceptable. If they could display such violence in an away ground, what would it have been if it was their home soil?

League Management Committee (LMC), must keep its eyes open on this team called Kano Pillars, especially during the regular season. It is congratulations to all true lovers of this most cherished and watched sports across the globe that conducted themselves within the confines of the game.

Also included are the LMC, Clubs Management, NFF executive members, colleagues that never spared the bad attitude displayed by Kano Pillars supporters and her Captain, the Nigeria Referee Council, the referees that never allowed Pillars levity to dampen their sense of responsibilities, impartiality and judgments against all odds.

But its thumbs down for the security agents that were sleeping when Kano Pillars and Rabiu Alli held the game hostage as well as the fans and crowd that let go when Satan and its agents came calling.

It is against the above inflammable background therefore that your upwardly mobile all sports online portal, Daily Sports thumbs up all and sundry for one positive contribution or the other that brought out the near perfect organisation to bear. We remain partners in progress. Nothing will stop the beat from going on; not even the multiples of Kano Pillars Rabiu Alli and his cohorts.

Let discuss further on our ever open and busy social media platforms. And don’t stop but rather; keep shooting hard, till next week!!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted June 17, 2019

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