Enyimba Head Coach Salisu Yusuf has admitted his side are facing goal-scoring difficulties after Sunday’s goalless draw against Warri Wolves but expresses confidence it will be over soon.
In the Matchday 5 game on Sunday in Aba, Salisu Yusuf watched Ukeyima Akombo, Ndubuisi Ekwuribe and Turba Benjamin throw begging chances away early in the first half. Against a very physical Wolves outfit, Enyimba had cleverly found several ways through the rash and aggressive defending of their opponents. But while they found ways through the visitors backline, putting the ball at the back of the net was an altogether different proposition.
At the end of the first half, there was general unease in the stands, but no real cause for alarm. It seemed then, to the fans and even the officials, that The Elephants still had time, time to get the breakthrough they so badly needed.
But in the end, the second forty-five minutes wasn’t enough. Not even the additional six minutes the referee was forced to add for the time wasting the visitors resorted to as the game neared the end.
Salisu Yusuf rose from the bench and walked away slowly to the dressing room, his disappointment, evident on his face. The second half had not provided the relief he sought. As he walked away, some fans expressed their displeasure, others seemed indifferent. No, not indifferent. Too shocked to react. Three home draws last season had cost Enyimba the league title and the wounds from those draws against Kano Pillars, Akwa United and Lobi Stars have not fully healed.
Finishing goalless against Warri Wolves at home so early in the season was simply too much to take.
When EnyimbaFC.net spoke to Salisu Yusuf afterwards, he readily admitted there is a problem. The team are not scoring goals as they should.
“Yes, there is a problem,” Salisu said. “We create several chances in a game but don’t convert them. It is something we are very concerned about and we are trying to stop it. But is this a major crisis? The answer is no. It’s something that is natural in the game of football.”
Salisu then revealed that it was of particular worry to the players themselves.
“It is really disturbing the players and they have been working very hard in training. As a matter of fact, it is what we have practiced in training through out today. We will keep working on it and very soon we will get it right.”
“You know that technique is the bedrock of football. Without good technique, goal-scoring will remain a problem for any team. A player has to know when to take a low shot or a high one, or curl the ball across the face of goal. Even in heading, a player has to know how to flick or turn his head in order to guide a ball into the net, so this is what we are all practicing.
“If we work hard on it in training and the players get it right, during a real match situation, it will become easy for them to convert the chances they create. Since our opening game, there is no match where we have not created enough chances to win by four or five goals, but that has not happened so we are not going to stop working on it.
“I can assure you that in a short time, we will get it right and every match we play, you will see lots of goals. The players are being taught how to handle pressure during a match so once they overcome that and improve their techniques, we will be unstoppable, I tell you,” Salisu said.
Enyimba were dogged by poor finishing throughout their campaign last term. It is what prompted the signing of the likes of last season’s highest goal-scorer Sibi Gwar, Ukeyima Akombo, Andrew Abalogu and Fidelis Saviour this season.
So far though, these additions haven’t appeared to be making a difference in the attack of The Elephants. It is unsurprising and logical because these new players will need to adapt and gain an understanding of their new environment. They need time to blend. But sadly, time isn’t what Enyimba has much of. The league is understandably a marathon, not a sprint but the first round of every league campaign defines who finishes as champions.
Enyimba’s next three games are against Kaduna United away, Kwara United at home and Gombe United away. These are tricky fixtures because while they may seem easy on paper, the potentials for upsets are profound. Salisu Yusuf and the rest of his technical crew must make sure that the team uses these games to not only fine tune their tactics and technique, but most importantly, improve their goal-scoring.
