Ogunbote Optimistic Of Ending The Season Well

Olugbenga Ogunbote

Head coach of seven time Nigerian league champions, Rangers International F.C, Coach Olugbenga Ogunbote, has given his wards thumbs up for their performances in the first round while urging to double their efforts as the second round of NPFL 2017/2018 season is set to roll off this weekend.

The vastly experienced gaffer made this public, recently while taking a look at what happened to his team in the first round that saw the ‘Flying Antelopes’ securing twenty-eight points after nineteen round of matches.

Ogunbote said that he and his boys would have to grind out good results that would catapult the team to the position that will make the government and good people of Enugu state proud at the end of the season.

“I am not under pressure to close the gap between us and the league leaders, Lobi Stars, because what matters is for us to perform well in the remaining matches of the league. What we need to do is just to grind out good results in the second stanza of the league because the gap between us and Lobi Stars is just five points. Five points only demands wining two matches away and that we will work towards to ensure we close the gap and brighten our chances of a continental berth,” stated the vastly travelled tactician.

The former Sunshine Stars, Giwa, 3SC, Enyimba and a host of others said the club had seen the good, bad and the ugly side of the league in the first stanza and would have to keep going with determination.

“Although the first stanza was a little bit tough for us because we started very slowly and when we think we are picking up, all of a sudden, we have crisis again. Thank God we faced the difficulties early in the league so that we could make amends and actualise our dream,” he emphasised.

On the CAF decision of giving Nigeria only one slot in the CAF Champions League will make the league more interesting and competitive stressing, “If you are not there, you are not there and the decision will bring out the best in all the clubs on the road to win the league and make the continental slot.”