..Nwaiwu, Uwana Rewarded for Outstanding Performances
Following his teams Victory Against Katsina United on Sunday, Enyimba FC Coach, Finidi George has described every remaining game in the league for the defending Champions as a final.
Reacting to the press shortly after Enyimba’s slim 1-0 victory at the Enyimba Int’l Stadium, Aba in one of the the match day 32 encounters, Finidi remarked that his team was a little bit sloppy and that he has instructed his players to treat every remaining game as final.
“Am happy for the three points but I think in some moments we were sloppy in the game which I didn’t like, I have told the players that every game going forward is all finals and we can’t just come in and be so relaxed.
“The game became a little bit difficult but and the end of the day we got the three points which is the most important thing that we needed.
When asked his rational for starting Ikenna Cooper and Daniel Daga both defensive midfielders, the Super Eagles Assistant Gaffer said;
“At this point in time we have to keep the balance even if we want to risk it, we know what “Pinto” (Eze Ekwutosiam) can give to us going forward.
“He is a player even when we are playing with two midfielders he is always running so we wanted to give him that free role so that he can help going forward. At the same time keeping that balance with Cooper and Daga. But yeah, like I said it wasn’t a free flowing game that we expected, we had one or two chances to have scored, it wasn’t like other days that we create more chances but we are happy with the victory which most important.
On the turnaround of events after a lack luster performance in the first stanza, Coach Finidi opined that they knew Katsina were going to sit deep being they came to see if they can get a point.
“We knew they were going to sit deep, a team coming to see if they can get at least a point in the second half.
“So we knew if we kept the ball longer we were going to create chances to score, that’s why we made the changes and i think it worked well, it gave us that freshness.
When asked of Chibuike Nwaiwu’s stellar performance, Finidi simply said he has found his place;
“For me i think going forward he has found his place, myself when i started I used to play in the middle but I was converted to the right side and that gave me the name.
“So we know he is a midfielder but was he is doing behind, you can’t take it away from him, he’s been fantastic, what he has won it’s not me that gave him, you guys voted him, I think he is doing a good job and we’ll continue to encourage him. I will say the future is very bright in this his new role.
On the break which NPFL is embarking on, Finidi said there is the FA Cup to play but beyond that they will engage the players in few friendlies to keep everyone on their toes ahead of the game against Abia Warriors.
Highlights of the encounter was the presentation of awards to Uwana Asuquo (Enyimba’s Infinix player of the month award) and Chibuike Nwaiwu (Enyimba’s NBL Man of match award) earning both players a brand new Infinix phone worth about N300,000 and a cheque of N100,000 respectively.
