We are ready for Dog-Fight- Emordi

BATTLE OF LUSAKA: He is a man of few words but very witty when he chose to react to questions concerning his good self or his team Eyimba International football club of Aba aka the Peoples Elephant. Fondly called “Okey Africa” by his admirers having won the greatest of the continents (Africa) soccer laurels; the African Champions of Champions back- to-back and the African Champion League in which he is chasing for keeps.

Our August soccer guest spoke to Nigeriasports.com about this make or mar soccer war against boastful Red Arrows football club of Zambia in the Match billed for Lusaka, Zambia this weekend.

His team Eyimba had earlier in the day compounded the woes of down-the-hill Gateway football Club with a 2-0 Victory. Enjoy the experts as coach Okey Emordi gave us an insight on what to expect after the “Dog fight” (an Air force parlance for two oppossing fighter bomber engaging each other in mid air) in the “air space” of Lusaka, Zambia

Nigeriasports.com:(NG). Congratulations Coach (Okey Emordi) for your victory over hard fighting Gateway football club of Abeokuta whom you defeated 2-0.

Emordi: Thank you very much it was a hard fought match pregnant with great expectations, anxieties and suprises.

NG: How do you mean?

Emordi: Of course, you watched the game and you must have gotten an insight to the firece exchanges exhibited by both sides

NG: We are aware that both sides (Eyimba and Gateway) are not on the same pedestral and your team is expected to have made mince meat of the visitors.

Emordi: (Cuts in) that is not correct. You will agree with me that the Gateway team were no push over as they demonstrated at the field of play. The team (Gateway) revealed to our greatest surprise that they were a close knit team with great understanding of each other. Unfortunately what they showcased in terms of their individual skills with the ball they, however, failed to match it with experience. And that was what seperated the wheat from the chaffs. In a nutshell Eyinba is the team to beat in this year Primership league, and that informs why teams both at the top bottom of the Primiership ladder go the extra miles in terms of finding the clues to up set Eyimba.

NG: Your teaming Supporters are not celebrating this victory against Gateway football club who were expected to be pulmelled by baskets of goals.

Emordi: The numbers of goals scored in a league match of Premiership status is not very important as each team is on level playing ground.
What is paramount in our minds for now is the ability to stay afloat without conceeding defeat in both our domestic and the international scenes.

NG: You have remained unbeaten for nine weeks in the Nigeria Football League (NFL) Counting week nine what’s the secret.

Emordi: To God be the Glory. We have the admixture of hardwork, determinatiopn, luck and God’s devine guadiance in the prosecution of both our domestic league and the African Champion League (ACL) Kudos should also go to our number one suporter and financer, His Excellency, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Eyimba Football Club management members, the palyers and our club supporters. The above mentioned have remained the tripod the team have been buit on.

NG: How do you compare the Eyimba of yesterday and that of today.

Emordi: A gulf seperates the former with the latter while some of our former players literally held us to ramsom on or before matches, the current crop of players are not only very dedicated to their duties, but exhibit both professionalism and discipline - A key factor to success.

NG: Let’s step up the gear to the international scene

Emordi: Go ahead

NG: You barely scrapped a win against Red Arrows of Zambia with few minutes from time.

Emordi: That’s not correct. A win is a win it can come at any given time- As a matter of fact there is no time frame for a goal to be scored

NG: But you were heading to a disaster with a solitary goal.

Emordi. We are ready for whatever they are ready to throw at us. From the Lusaka International Airport, through the streets, the hotel and at the stadium. My players and the technical crew are ready for the soccer battle or war as you termed it.

NG: Your unpertubed of the “dog fight” and the expected opposition’s arrow head attack.

Emordi: Like I said earlier we are ready in both “Air” and the ground battles. Don’t forget I am an Ex- Biafrian Army officer (Major) So, I’m very conversant with war situations. We shall adopt to any of their tactics either way. We have enough arsenals to engage them with either “Air-To-Air or “Ground-To- Air soccer missiles (general laughter).

NG: Coach what’s your candid accessment of the Red Arrows.

Emordi: We won’t disclose things we know about them until they are explioted on the field of play. They will adjust and correct their flaws if we reveal it. But we shall have a survillience on their two attackers spotting jersies nine and ten respectively.

NG: Coach you played against Zambian teams during your playing years with Ranger International, could you recall your memories.

Emordi: Most Zambian teams are owned by the Zambian Armed Forces. In our time it was the Green Buffolies that we played. And they are not an easy opposition because of their physical fitness and the mentality of a military personnel not to surrender without a fight. But above all we are both psychologically and mentally prepared to move a head to the African Champion group stage and eventually win the African Champion League for keeps .

NG: We wish you all the best of luck.

Emordi: Thanks we need both luck and Devine Intervention

Interview by Jack Moses Ekwe-Ekwe

Editor's note.
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