The last two seasons of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) has improved tremendously in terms of officiating which in turn recorded a massive turnaround in the number of away wins recorded by the participating teams.
Dakkada Football Club (formerly Akwa Starlets) of Akwa Ibom State have been a household name synonymous with more number of away wins recorded especially in the current 2019/2020 NPFL season.
Coach Caleb Esu, head coach of Dakkada FC have expressed the lack of motivation of his players and officials as a result of the half payment of their salaries since September 2019 till date. This in turn had a negative boomerang effect on his team that led to the drop of the team from 4th position some weeks ago to 8th position right now in the NPFL table Standings.
Coach Esu said, “Dakkada FC as a young child and small team in the State is trying to crave a niche for themselves.”
He was delighted with the support from the Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Monday Uko by saying, “We commend the commissioner for Youth and Sports who really have taken the bull by the horn to see that we stay afloat. It has been a difficult one with the team actually because we have been collecting half salary since September up till this day.”
“That aspect has not really gone well with the team motivationally and I think that is where the problem is.”
On his players training regime in the Stay-At-Home lockdown due to the Corona Virus Outbreak in Nigeria, Coach Esu said, “What I have just done is to get some of my players via phone line, telling them to stay fit by doing their personal training at their own disposal and not going out to crowded places.”
Dakkada FC has the recorded 4 losses and 8 draws in the current NPFL campaign making the team with the lowest numbers of matches lost away from home. But their poor form at their home ground (Godswill Akpabio Stadium) is a cause of worry as evident with 4 home losses with 34 points amassed leaving the Uyo based team in 8th position in the halted NPFL season due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
