Nigeria Leagues
Yemi Olanrewaju blames Enyimba draw with Bayelsa United on NPFL verdict
By Wale Mustapha
Enyimba FC’s head coach, Yemi Olanrewaju, has pointed to psychological distractions as the reason behind his team’s 1-1 draw against Bayelsa United on Wednesday.
The People’s Elephants were unable to secure a win in the Matchday 36 encounter of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba.
In the match, Ekeson Okorie’s goal for Bayelsa United canceled out an early finish from Enyimba’s Alade Balogun.
Despite their efforts, the reigning champions could not break through their opponents’ defense in the second half, resulting in a draw that dampened their hopes of retaining the NPFL title.
A disappointed Olanrewaju revealed that the players were affected by the NPFL board’s decision to award match points to Enugu Rangers following their last Sunday’s clash. This decision, he explained, had a significant impact on the team’s morale and performance.
“I had to talk to the players because they felt very bad after they heard that the three goals and three points had been awarded to Rangers,” Olanrewaju stated.
“It really affected us. You could see that in the first half, they were slow and didn’t want to train yesterday morning. I had to motivate them and tell them that the season is not over and we have to keep fighting.”
Despite the setback, Olanrewaju assured fans that the club would not give up on the title chase until the very end. Enyimba now finds themselves four points behind Rangers with just two games remaining before the end of the campaign.
