‘The Favoured One’ Jibunoh Set To Lead Brave Youngsters Of Ituen Academy Into NLO Action News

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‘The Favoured One’ Jibunoh Set To Lead Brave Youngsters Of Ituen Academy Into NLO Action

By Daily Sports on March 12, 2020

Since the beginning of his reign as Technical Director of Ituen Academy in early February, coach Anthony Jibunoh has brought with him fresh ideas to the team made up of young players and they seem to be preparing well for their journey into the Nationwide League (NLO) Division 1.

Basic stuffs lacking in a lot of youth players coaching today like the weight of the pass, positional awareness, timing of runs and tackles, etc, are being infused into the training routine of the Akwa Ibom based team and the players are enthusiastically buying into the philosophy of Jibunoh who carries a strong passion of leading the team to great heights in their first ever taste of national league football.

Ituen Academy have so far engaged in 3 friendly games in preparation for the league and on the strength of the display of the youngsters in the matches, there is a lot of excitement from their fans on what the future holds.

Coach Jibunoh’s lads beat fellow Uyo sides Palm Syrup FC (also an NLO side) 2-1 and Atom FC 2-0 while their third build up game against well-known Dolphins FC ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw in the latter’s Port Harcourt backyard.

That game was an exhibition of exhilarating football artistry from both sides, notwithstanding the humid weather condition which made the artificial turf too hot for the players comfort.

It was a performance and result that delighted Jibunoh who praised the spirit of his brave young lads.

“My players are very young boys who are improving everyday. I’m happy with their progress in the training ground and from what I’ve seen from the friendlies we have played so far. My task is to continue to develop them and with the talents I see here, these guys can grow to become very useful for Nigeria’s national teams,” Jibunoh stated.

Ituen Academy are a very ambitious club, as they like to remind themselves, and Jibunoh has been delighted with how well-run things are in the club. “The members of the coaching crew are working very well together to bring success to this club. I have been happy with the assistance I have got from the technical crew and I’m sure that together we will succeed,” Jibunoh added.

Jibunoh, who embraces the nickname ‘the favored one’, got his coaching experience from working under ex-Super Eagles coach Austin Eguavoen in various levels of the national teams as well as in the latter’s football academy in Benin City, AC academy. He continues to hold Eguavoen in high esteem as someone who showed him the way in the coaching business.

“Much of what I know about coaching today, I owe to Eguavoen. He is my mentor.”

For now, though, Jibunoh is mentoring the young lads of Ituen academy and says his target is to lead the club away from amateur football and into the Nigeria Nationwide League (NNL).

“I’m an ambitious person and my target is to lead Ituen academy into the NNL One at the end of the season. I also want to take the club as far as we can in the 2020 AITEO FA Cup.”