Amunike rues Heartland’s scoring chance misses
From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Coach Emmanuel Amunike, the sweat merchant of Heartland Football Club, Owerri is seriously in dilemma over the team’s inability to convert the litany of scoring chances against their opponents in the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football league, NPFL.
Amunike disclosed this on Sunday at Dan Anyiam Stadium,Owerri while addressing Sports Journalists shortly after his team forcefully secured one goal draw against the visiting Bayelsa United FC, Yenogua in their week 28 encounter.
Amunike said that their objective was to win, that it’s not the winning that is perturbing him, but he’s worried over the number of chances they create as a team and cannot convert them into goals.
“This is giving me serious concern. You see, we controlled the game, we were a thorn in their goal post, just like in other games and you can hardly count how many times Bayelsa United was a threat to our goal area.
“However, this is football, when you are not winning, it seems that all your efforts are in futility. The fans, supporters and stakeholders are not interested in stories what they want to hear is winning.
“It’s really shocking because in our previous game in Lagos, we created litany of chances but unable to convert even one into a goal and today it happened. Against Elkanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, the same thing happened . Honestly, I’m worried, I think I have to go back as a Coach and that’s the major reason am a coach and technical adviser, look at the area and proffer earliest possible solutions.
“The game of football is in tandem with scoring and defending the goal, but unfortunately we have continued to waste a lot of chances we are creating. However, it’s football.
“I so much recognize the ability of the opponent we played, they came with strategic game plan and stick to it and luckily, it worked for them.
He observed that there are indications that some kind of complacency have run into the players but there’s a need to look at the whole issue from the general point of view and see how else, the players could be motivated.
The Coach also observed that, It’s not all about criticizing, but criticize in a positive way, because what matters is how to rebuild the confidence, hence when a striker or an attacker who used to score but suddenly when you have chances and those chances you don’t convert most of them into goals, honestly the confidence and courage will begin to diminish, and as a coach, it’s your duty to continue to inspire the players and rebuild the confidence in themselves.
He expressed disenchantment that his home fans and supporters are not happy over the team results, especially in their home matches, he however commended the teeming fans and supporters for believing in the team noting that they have every reason to be disappointed and worried over the team.
Amunike enjoined the players on the need to live up to the fans and supporters expectation by winning their games especially home games so as to make them happy and sustain their love and confidence with the team.
Reacting, Mr. Ladan Bosso, the Head Coach of Bayelsa United FC, Yenogua said in his accessment of the game, that “it was not too good and not too bad, but what they as a coach looks forward is the creation of chances and when those chances are not maximumly utilized, you as a coach will continue to work on them so as to perfect their scoring techniques so that the goals will start coming”.
He recalled that in their previous games this season that they scored 4 goals against Sunshine FC of Akure and 4 goals against Niger Tornadoes of Minna, all in their home matches meaning as we go further you have to give them necessary orientation on how to improve on the techniques of attacking and scoring.
“You can see, we created some chances and missed the creativity techniques of scoring with those chances, the same thing with Heartland FC .
“It was really unfortunate that the equalizer against us is something that was avoidable. We came here to pick three points but going home with at least one point is not too bad, but we need to go back to drawing board and work on the finishing.
“We got enough vital information about Heartland Team, and we seriously worked on the information and that was the reason for what happened today.
Heartland is not a bad team at all, but we’re able to subdue them before their home fans. We withstood their pressure, played the game in their vital areas and withstood their strategic game of robust physicality ” the coach revealed.
Bosso insisted that”Heartland cannot go on relegation, because they have some good machineries on the ground, their coach is a very good friend of me, I know what he can do, in as much as they are getting the necessary support from all the stakeholders, the team is strong, tacticalyl and can go places”.
The Bayelsa United FC, gaffer also disclosed that “he believes so much in making the difference in what ever endeavor as well as believing in young players, the team that played today has 7 young players that are playing in the league for the first time in their life, so am building futuristic team.
“Pressure or no pressure is part of the job, some of these pressures often comes from lousy fans who are ignorant of the realities.I cannot be intimidated to compromise selfish interest” he noted.
