Fatai Osho, the head coach of Akwa United, is determined to ensure his team does not repeat the costly mistakes that led to their defeat on the opening day of the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season. Despite being the reigning champions from the 2021 season, Osho’s debut NPFL match with the Promise Keepers ended in a disappointing 5-3 loss to Bayelsa United, who were inspired by Robert Mizo’s outstanding performance.
Akwa United had the lead on three separate occasions during the game, but their inability to avoid costly errors allowed their opponents to overturn the match from 3-2 to 5-3, with Mizo completing a hat-trick. Osho expressed his disappointment with how his team conceded the goals, referring to them as basic mistakes.
In his post-match statement, Osho emphasized the importance of addressing these fundamental errors and ensuring that the team performs at its best in upcoming matches. He acknowledged that the opening game’s result was not reflective of the team’s potential and expressed his determination to work with the players to enhance their performance and secure positive results in future matches.
As Akwa United’s head coach, Osho brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record in Nigerian football. He is committed to guiding the team to success in the NPFL and rectifying the issues that led to their disappointing start to the season.
“It’s a big shame that we are losing this type of game the way we did. We were in total control and deserved to have come out with all three points but lots of elementary errors on our part cost us the win,” Osho told the club’s website.
“At this level of football, you can’t make such mistakes because if you do you will get punished and that is exactly what happened to us. It’s unbelievable that we scored three goals and didn’t win or get a point out of this game. We have to quickly address all noticeable mistakes so we can come out strong in our next game.”
Despite losing the game, Osho also has some consolation with his team’s goal-scoring ability with striker Hadi Mohammed getting in the goals as quickly as possible while Seyi Oguntoye also hit a brace including a superb volley.
Akwa United’s next game is a home debut of the season at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, against newly promoted side Sporting Lagos who began their NPFL journey with a 2-0 win over Gombe United in Lagos on Monday.
