Meremu Okara reflects on Bayelsa United’s relegation survival vs Bendel Insurance

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Head coach of the Yenegoa-based side, Meremu Okara says their last game was not as easy as the result after leading Bayelsa United to another relegation-surviving feat at the end of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

The Yenagoa-based team secured a 2-0 win over Insurance in Benin City on Sunday and the away triumph ensured that they would play in the topflight to the delight of Okara.

“We have seen that it is going to be tight but we thank God for the day that they are a team that actually not playing for anything so to speak,” Okara told journalists.

” We were playing for everything and the result showed that. They played but not with that 100% determination. We played better, defended better, and got the three points which is good for us.

“They were not playing for anything while we were playing for something so we had to come out fully. We played three attackers 4-3-3 and I guess they played 4-4-2. Few chances came and we took them which was the difference. They had chances but missed them.”

In a bid to prevent recurrent relegation battles, Meremu spoke on ways of averting similar occurrences.

“We played 4-3-3. I guess they played 4-4-2. We are going to scout for players in the Premier League. That was the mistake we made and before we could get ourselves, we found ourselves down the league ladder. This time, we are going to start early and it will be good for us.”

Bayelsa United finished the 2023/2024 NPFL season in 15th position with 50 points after 38 games, two places, and four points above the relegation zone.

The former President Federation Cup winners hope to return to their best form when the 2024/2025 season gets underway later this year.