No one can stop Enyimba now- Anyansi Agwu

Sole Administrator of Enyimba FC of Aba must be a proud man with the recent form of his club that has seen them score twenty one goals in five games whilst conceeding none. Anyansi shares in this interview with nigeriasports.com the joys, the pains and disappointments of being boss of Nigeria's three time league champions.

Nigeriasports.com: what is the situation in your club as regards players leaving at will to attend trials

Anyansi Agwu: That is where we are suffering. We know where our problem lies. It is in the attitude of players. Nigerian players are not professionals.
Until the NFA comes out with a rule that safeguards clubs, the professional league in the country will collapse.
Clubs are suffering. I might be crying today, but someone else will cry tomorrow.
A situation where players abandon their duty post… what do you expect me to do? I am just a manager. What can I do? I did not even know when they travelled.
They are under contract with us for two years, yet they abandoned the club in the peak of the season and we are now the ones begging them to come back.
People will still expect us to go out and win, then when we don’t they call us names like bad manager. They don’t know what we are going through as managers.
The NFA should protect clubs or else club competition will collapse in Nigeria.

NS: The NFA should be aware of players who leave the country. So how did these boys leave? 

AA: The NFA is not actually in control of whatever happens as regards players leaving the country for trials. They are not in anyway aware of the movement of these boys. And there is nothing they can do as a football house to stop them except by coming out with a very strong law.

Once you are in contract with a club, you must respect the terms of the contract or else the club will not release you and the NFA should be abel to back clubs on this.
But if we refuse to release these boys, you the same pres will write us off with names such as “wicked manager” and even go ahead to say we want to destroy the careers of these boys.
But we are paying these players and they have all received their full salaries and sign on fees.
What will a Nigerian player want to do in South Africa, please someone tell me? Is the South African league better than the Nigerian league? We could only register thirty players and with three of them already gone, we have just twenty seven to prosecute the champions’ league.

NS: Before the match against Africa sports, you expressed these fears, yet you won three nil and have had other impressive results against Insurance, Bikili, Plateau United and Lobi Stars.

AA: In football, anything can happen. At the initial stage I was really scared of what the outcome would be, especially in the Africa Sports made a lot of efforts to bring our players back and we were happy they joined the team on time and we really had a complete side in Abidjan.

 
NS: Now you had Obinna Nwaneri and Onyekachi Okonkwo return for the Champion’s league match against Africa Sports, so will this be a regular thing?

AA: WE will just have to do with what we have, but that is not good for the game, to go out to battle without your best players. We still need their services because they are still under contract with us. At this level no reasonable club would let such players go.

NS: Back to the premier league, having won it three times on the trot, how would you compare the race for this season’s title in relation to last seasons’?

AA: This is a very unpredictable season. One thing I know is that the league is still wide open and anything can happen.
Enyimba will still win the league, though.
Forget about our pour start. We were going through a lot. Its not easy to play the champions league and the local league series, or you can ask Lobi Stars and Julius Berger about it.

NS: Despite a poor league start, you had always said it that Enyimba would win the league.

AA: Well, we have what it takes. We are also the African Champions. We have made it quite clear that Enyimba will win the league for five years. It sounds boastful but we are almost there. We know it wont come easy because clubs like Dolphin and Pillars have come up to give us a good run. Now we are back I want to make it clear that the League title will remain in Aba.

NS: But you have two difficult away games against Dolphin and NAtionale?

AA: In football anything can happen. Those games will not be easy and it may all depend on who is luckier. They will be tough.

NS: Despite your good league and Champions league form, Enyimba have never won the FA Cup. Could it be that is not one of your priorities?

AA: It is, but it is very difficult to handle all three club competitions. It is quite tedious. Not all clubs can survive it. Its not like we are not interested but we just cannot keep up with all three competitions.

NS: What is the official word on Urukalo

AA: Well, events have overtaken that situation. He is still a friend of the club and we duly gave him permission to travel, but he over stayed and we could not have waited for him. Right now there is no place for Urukalo in the club.

NS: With your recent string of near perfect results, don’t you think the club might just peak too soon? Remember what happened last year before Ismaili gave you a wake up call.

AA: This is our moment and I don’t agree are moving too fast. In fatc we are too slow. The issue now should be- who can contain Enyimba both at home and in Africa?

NS: You were quoted some time ago as saying that the Enyimba job has made you hypertensive. How much longer would you want to go before calling it quits?

AA: Well, not at the detriment of my health. I have a family and I have to protect myself and my family.
If I lose my life now the club will still continue. Right now I am wondering if I will be able to continue this job the way I have been doing it. The way I go about it, I’m putting my life seriously in danger.

NS: So far, how fulfilled are you by your achievements?

AA: Will I say I am fulfilled? I keep praising and thanking God. Without his mercies I don’t think I will ever achieve this. I will always be a very happy person and be grateful to God and my Governor for giving me a chance to be noticed.

NS: But will you quit football all together?

AA: You never say never. It all depends on the way it goes. If my life is seriously endangered, I will have some considerations. It’s about the job, and until you get yourself involved, you will never understand. Managers are the worst hit, just like coaches. This job is very tedious. We work twenty four hours and we must do that for the club to move ahead. I don’t even envy myself

NS: Thanks for giving us your time sir, and we wish you the best in your exploits.

AA: The pleasure is mine.

 

 

 

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