Confluence Queens of Lokoja coach, Sabo Okala (aka Awala) has sent out a passionate appeal to the government of Kogi State to quickly rise in support of the Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL) side.
Sports247 reports that Okala’s highly emotional appeal came in the wake of his team’s 1-0 loss at home to Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia in a matchday four NWFL fixture played at Anyangba Stadium.
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Although Okala went on to declare that he is still optimistic for a revival of his club’s fortunes as the season goes by, the smooth talking tactician, who previously coached Honey Badgers of Benue State, blamed their recent slump on a mass exodus of key players at the end of last season.
Okala stated, “I don’t have any excuse. The game of football is unpredictable. At times, such results can come. Once it comes up, it’s just for us to go back to the drawing board and see where we can improve.
It’s not an excuse, but for a team that lost 24 regular players and trying to build up, it can be difficult. That is why I’ve always solicited to the state government to come in. We can’t be building every season, and we keep losing players. It’s so demoralising.”
Okala then spoke specifically about the role fat salaries play in keeping good players in a team, but reasoned further that Confluence Queens may end up losing more reliable legs as the days go by, unless the state government steps in with improved and far-reaching financial support of the squad.
“We’ve lost some of our best legs to other teams because of increment in salaries. At this point, I want to plead to the state government to come in. The government has to come in, if we want to be at par with other clubs in terms of pay packets.
I might not be the one to enjoy that inheritance, but other people who are coming here will be able to benefit from it and stabilise many things,” Okala theorised.
He concluded with a verdict that Confluence Queens would improve and still be able to consolidate on the giant strides they achieved in last season’s NWFL Super-6 if the players are well motivated with better pay and improved welfare packages made possible through total support from Kogi State government.
“It’s disheartening and so painful that, after playing in the Super-6 last season, we are coming to struggle this season. Instead of me fortifying the team I had before and coming to fight for the title, we are still struggling like this.
All said, we’ll go back to the drawing board, and we’ll see what we’ll come up with. We’ve seen some teams that lost like this and still came up strong. So, I’m optimistic. In fact, some seasons ago, we had one point in three matches, yet we qualified for the Super-6. So, it’s still achievable,” Okala concluded
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