Abia Warriors Football Club’s Technical Adviser, Imama Amapakabo, remains undaunted as his team prepares to face league champions, Rangers International Football Club, in a highly anticipated Matchday 5 encounter of the Nigeria Premier Football League.
The match will take place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, commonly referred to as “The Cathedral.”
The significance of this fixture is heightened by Amapakabo’s past, having coached Rangers to a league title in 2016.
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However, in an interview with Abia Warriors Media, he emphasized that he is focused on the present and sees the match as a crucial opportunity for his team. “Indifferent, I feel it is a job that has to be done.
Fortunately, yesterday, they were able to win their game (against Bayelsa United) so they are on a high. But like I always say, every game is different from the other,” Amapakabo stated.
He expressed confidence in his squad’s preparation and determination to secure maximum points, highlighting the team’s hard work since their last victory.
“We have been able to look at the things we need to work on; we’ve worked very hard. We’ve been able to put a victory under our belt, and we are going to go to Enugu, there will be three points in the sky for all of us to fight for, and I believe it’s going to be an exciting game,” he added.
Amapakabo also made it clear that his intention is to recover lost points from earlier matches. “I go to play every game with victory in mind. Let’s look at it that I’ve lost 3 points at home, so I need to recover it at a certain point in time somewhere,” he noted.
He emphasized his commitment to entertaining football, stating, “I like whenever anybody comes to watch my team play, the spectator goes back home with his money’s worth, and he will want to watch Abia Warriors play again.”
Despite acknowledging Rangers’ status as defending champions and the respect they deserve, Amapakabo reiterated that his team would not play with fear.
He concluded, “Rangers are on high, let us not forget that they are the defending champions. But then, no fear; we are going to play our game as best as we possibly can.”
As it stands in the league table, Rangers are positioned 7th with 7 points, while Abia Warriors currently occupy the 11th position with 5 points.
