“Victory In Awka, Not A Fluke”- Kalu Nweke Roars!
By; ilekam Ikechukwu (Flakes)
Still reveling in their season’s opener victory yesterday at the Awka Township Stadium, having humbled Rangers football club 2 nil thanks to late goals from Bello Lukman and Monday Yakubu in either side of halftime, Abia Warriors football club of umuahia have declared themselves as early title contenders in the abridged NPFL season.
Speaking to footballflakes.net shortly after the match, the captain of the side Kalu Nweke Elvis spoke bullishly without reservations with regards the team’s ambitions in the new NPFL abridged season, in an affirmation that the victory yesterday wasn’t just a fluke rather the team collectively worked for it.
“We made the journey to awka with the positive mindset knowing fully that all was on the table to play for, our pride was at stake because it was a feisty oriental derby against a star studded Rangers team led by one of the best tacticians in the league. They pushed us back early on with couple of dominant displays, but we remained focused and stucked to our gameplan which was the principal factor, eventually it yielded dividends, we left awka with the maximum points which certainly would build our confidence and the right tonic approaching our subsequent games”.
The erstwhile kwara United playmaker gave credence to the level of character shown by his teammates on the road, stressing that with such winning mentality being exuded, the sky would be their starting point this season as target remains booking the much coveted super six ticket by the end of the abridged season.
“Our main target is to get a super six ticket by the end of the season, and with the bold statement made already in awka, all we pray for is an injury free season and hitch free journeys to different cities as we execute our away games in the right frame of mind, getting the best of results wont be far-fetched” the charismatic playmaker concluded!
The Victory puts Abia warriors in a comfortable position in the group B log of the abridged season alongside defending champions Rivers united and Niger tornadoes completing the trio of teams in group B with 3 points after matchday 1.
Recall that Abia warrior’s famous victory yesterday over the antelopes in awka was reminiscent of the January 2016/17 NPFL season clash where the umuahia based outfit snatched away maximum points in enugu at the expense of their hosts.
Next up for the umuahia based outfit is a matchday 2 home fixture against recently promoted Bayelsa United football club of Yenegoa on Wednesday as the coach Erasmus Onuh led side finally returns to the umuahia township stadium after 3 years hiatus.