Enyimba of Aba stand-in coach, Fatai Osho, depicted a look a toddler whose piece of bean cake had been snatched by a vicious looking dog moments after his troop were gunned down 2-0 by FC Ifeanyi Ubah on Sunday at Nnewi.
Osho was down cast after the NPFL match day 16 fixture as the home side recorded their fifth win against the eight time champions, extending their winless run at Nnewi to five games.
The former Remo Stars gaffer however, played down the effect of the defeat on his squad going into this weekend’s CAF Confederation Cup Group D fixture at home to Agadir of Morocco.
“Obviously, we can’t help ourselves if we continue to dwell on self pity”, Osho snapped.
“We just have to pick up our pieces, put ourselves together and dust our faces and brace up for the task ahead of us, which is the Confederation Cup match against Agadir of Morocco.
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“Confederation Cup is a different ball game from the domestic league or what is generally regarded as Oriental Derby. No doubt, it was painful to lose here (against FCIfeanyi Ubah) because, we came here wanting to win, knowing the rivalry and importance of winning, which gives mental strength going into a big game like the continental match”.
Osho paid glowing tribute to his conquerors, FC Ifeanyi Ubah, saying despite the obvious fact that Enyimba were the better side on the night, the team were more adventurous and showed more zeal for victory.
“First of all, I have to congratulate FC Ifeanyi Ubah. They played to win and they got their win. They were so adventurous and there was that obvious zeal in them to win and they did just that, congratulations to them”, Osho said.
“But on our part, we were by far the better side. You could see the way we started the second half which forced them (FCIU) on the back foot.
“We could have capitalised on that to come back into the game with an equaliser. But we missed all the chances. At least, there were about two or three like that. If we had made the most of those opportunities, the result would have been different.
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“Having lost those scoring chances, we got punished when they scored their second goal which, again, was as a result of ‘elementary defending error’ on the part of our defenders.
“As a defender, you don’t mark like that inside your penalty box. It was too elementary defensively and it has cost us some goals, which is most uncalled for. These are ‘soft’goals, if I must put it that way. And you can’t be doing that and expect to get points”.
Enyimba’s defeat in Nnewi highlighted the People’s Elephant third straight losses in the succession. There have been suggestions the two time African champions blip was orchestrated by injuries to key players.
But Osho reasons otherwise. “That Ifeanyi Anaemena and Nelson Ogbonnaya did not playis not the point here. As a matter of fact, we have eight (8) players out on account of injuries.
“Every one of our players is important to us. As we speak, we have about eight (8) key players (out with injuries).
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“Enyimba, as a team, don’t need to complain about injuries. Even if 10 players are out injured, we can still play as a team. Every player in Enyimba came in on the basis of his performance and quality in his former club before coming over here to Enyimba.
“So, the fact that someone is out is not and should not be an excuse. Any other player can just fill the void. It’s just unfortunate that we lost today and we have put that behind as we brace up for the next game against the Moroccan side, Agadir”, Coach Osho stressed.
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