The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gbenga Ogunbote

  • Sharks boss confident of good start

    Sharks boss confident of good start

    General Manager of Sharks football club of PortHarcourt, Okey Kpaluku has said he is confident of a good outing in Day One of the 2013/2014 season in the weekend of 21st-23rd February.

    Kpaluku who stated this shortly after the draws for the new season by the League Management Company said the series of pre season friendlies and tournament will put Sharks FC in good stead against CAF Confederations Cup campaigners, Bayelsa united.

    “It is a good draw though it’s like a derby and will be an opportunity for us to put to good use all the preparation we have had,” Kpaluku said

    “It is a must win, as we know fully well that a trip to Bayelsa United is like a home game to us,” he added.

    Kpaluku also insisted that the mandate given to the technical crew led by Gbenga Ogunbote, in the forthcoming season is to win a continental ticket and get the first away win in Yenagoa.

    “The mandate is for the coach to get a continental ticket and a trophy in addition and start the season with an away win in yenagoa,” he echoed.

  • Eagles best yet to come, says Ogunbote

    Eagles best yet to come, says Ogunbote

    By Taofeek Babalola

    Sharks FC of Port Harcourt Technical Adviser Gbenga Ogunbote believes Super Eagles will still make the country proud when the face Ghana in Wednesday’s semi-final clash of the ongoing 2014 African Nations Championship in South Africa.

    Ogunbote in a chat with SportingLife said Eagles two previous victories over Bafana Bafana of South Africa and Atlas Lions of Morocco have built team’s confidence ahead of Ghana’s game.

    The former Sunshine Stars of Akure manager urged Nigerians to keep believing on the team, saying Eagles’s best is yet to come.

    “I want to first of all congratulate Nigerians for the victory because Eagles have done well; you will agree with me that this is more or less a new team and majority of the players that qualified the team for the tournament are not there. Again, the team is improving game after game,” Ogunbote said.

    “We all saw what they did against South Africa and Morocco and they can really get better. We’ve not seen the best our prayers. I have no doubt in my mind that they will go ahead on Wednesday and get deserved result against Ghana. What they need now is to be focused and shun any form of distraction.”

     

  • Sharks have nothing to lose

    Sharks have nothing to lose

    Sharks coach Gbenga Ogunbote has told Enyimba that his team head into the final match of the season with “nothing to lose.” The Port Harcourt side travel to Aba with their safety in the NPFL already guaranteed mathematically after hitting 53 points on Wednesday, and Ogunbote reckons Sharks would play a “relaxed” game.

    He told supersport.com that it is Enyimba that need the points to qualify for the CAF Champions League and would be playing under pressure.

    “I don’t want to talk much about the game, but we have nothing to lose having secured our place in the premier league,” Ogunbote said.

    “I had always said we intended to finish in a comfortable position,and by that I meant any position between the first and ninth positions.

    “Enyimba are the ones that desperately need the points (for Champions League qualification) and would be under pressure to deliver.

    “We would be playing in a relaxed mood,while they would be playing under pressure.”

    Ogunbote could even afford some humour when he added: “I can assure you that if you’re there (at the Enyimba International Stadium), Enyimba would beg us.”

    The former Sunshine Stars gaffer admitted they were disappointing against Rangers in their last away game and that he was expecting a better game in Aba.

    “We were careless against Rangers, conceding a goal within the opening four minutes,” he said.

    “It takes a team of very strong character to recover from that.

    “However, I believe most of the mistakes we made have been corrected. It is a learning process and hopefully we have moved on from there. I’m looking forward to a good game against Enyimba.”

    Sharks are sixth on the NPFL table with 53 points, while Enyimba are fourth with 59 points after 37 rounds of matches.

  • Ogunbote finally guides Sharks to safety

    Ogunbote finally guides Sharks to safety

    Gbenga Ogunbote has finally stated he has steered Sharks to safety after their 3-1 defeat of Nasarawa United on Wednesday at the Sharks Stadium.

    Ogunbote had always remained cautious on his team’s remarkable rise from the foot to the top half of the Glo log, but he has now declared them safe with a game left to play.

    “I can tell you authoritatively that we are safe, and I’m sure we’ll end up within the top the 10. We have given a lap of honour to our fans to show appreciation for their support during the trying times, and we hope to build on this performance next season,” he told supersport.com.

    “The game (against Nasarawa United) has been won and lost, but the most important thing is that we have registered our place in the premier league next season.”

    He said he was satisfied they defeated the Solid Miners despite his team being seriously depleted by injuries.

    “We played without most of our key players, but we played to win and we have won. There was no attacking midfielder in my team today because none was available, so we are making best use of the worst situation. Our tactics were just geared towards victory and if not for careless moments we ought not to have conceded any goal,” he told supersport.com.

    United technical consultant, Kadiri Ikhana lamented his sides profligacy adding that it was the biggest challenge he had faced since joining the team.

    “Despite the loss, I’m satisfied with the performance of my boys,” he told supersport.com.

    “My only worry is that we failed to covert our chances. This has been the problem in almost all our matches.”

    Sharks had little problems stamping their authority in the early exchanges and deservedly went ahead in the 3rd minute when Fortune Omoniwari nodded in Odinga Odinga’s delivery from the right wing.

    Ezeoha Okereke doubled the lead on 25 minutes after latching on to Christian Pyagbara’s through ball.

    United had two gilt edged opportunities to come back into the game, but they were wasted by Ishaya Anyu and Victor Namo in the 40th and 52nd minutes respectively. They were punished for the misses on 75 minutes when Omoniwari headed home off a corner for Sharks third.

    United substitute Musa Adamu scored a consolation goal with four minutes left on the clock. Sharks are now 6th in the Glo with 53 points, while Nasarawa United are 17th with 49 points after 37 rounds of matches.

  • NPFL: Sharks manager assures on team performance

    NPFL: Sharks manager assures on team performance

    The Team Manager of Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt, Coach Gbenga Ogunbote, has assured their fans that the Blue Angels, as the club is fondly called, would definitely swim out of the relegation waters that had threatened it since the beginning of the season.

    In a Chat after the club handed highly rated Sunshine Stars of Akure their second consecutive defeat in Sunday’s Nigeria Professional Football League week 13 encounter played at the Sharks stadium, Port Harcourt, Ogunbote noted that while it is not yet time to celebrate, the club would improve its position on the table, pleading with the fans to rally round the team to ensure that this dream becomes a reality in no time.

    “It’s not yet allelluyah. We still want the people to rally around us so that the team leaves this tight position.

    “We are temporarily occupying the place, we would soon leave there. But we need to work harder, it also has to be a collective effort. Everybody must contribute his or her own quota to ensure that Sharks does very well,” he added.

    The former Sunshine gaffer also assures the fans that they would soon have their desired team.

    “I’m assuring the fans, by the special grace of God, that by the time we finish with our rebuilding, we would have a very solid team,” he said.

     

  • Victory Non-Negotiable, Ogunbote

    Victory Non-Negotiable, Ogunbote

    NPFL SOUTH-SOUTH DERBY

    SHARKS gaffer, Gbenga Ogunbote has said that the Nigeria Professional League week nine South-South derby against Bayelsa Utd is a non-negotiable victory affair.

    Speaking with SportingLife, the two-time continental semi-finalist said it’s not going to be a winning by all means thing but that his side will come out smoking to ensure that the success which the team has begun to experience will be sustained.

    “We all know it’s not negotiable. But we will work hard for it. We are going to work hard to ensure we get the three maximum points. We cannot afford to lose a point at home any longer. I will just want to enjoin the fans to come out and give us the maximum support, to believe in the team. The team will still do it right. We know its going to be a local derby. We expect it and we will be looking towards the game and by the special grace of God, all we want is three points and we are going to get them,” he said.

    Speaking further on the fast improvement that is been witnessed in the team, Ogunbote said it’s a gradual process and before week twelve, the team is expected to have stabilised.

    He also noted that the week nine open window is not going to be an overhauling issue but selecting of the required few to beef up the team.

    “I just want to give glory to God because the boys are really working hard.

    “The improvement is coming gradually, but that does not mean we have a perfect team yet. All we know is that the league is not going to wait for us and that is why we know that we have to do our little bits both the technical crew, the players and the management to ensure that we don’t lose any values. We are beginning to catch them and we will continue to pick them. We will do everything humanly possible to manage the success because that’s all we need to do.

    “The job is not yet completed. And when we go for players in week nine open window, it’s going to be a matter of bringing in a few that will fill in the necessary places and by the time we get to week twelve, the team would have been back to where to should be,” he assured.

  • Ogunbote grabs first away point

    Ogunbote grabs first away point

    Gbenga Ogunbote has registered his first point for Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt on the road and first away goal of the season following the one-all draw against Wikki Tourists at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa stadium in Bauchi.

    The Blue Angels broke the deadlock in the 40th minute when Abraham Ezioha jumped high above his marker to head home the first goal of the match.

    The score line stood that way until the end of first half.

    On the resumption of play in the second half Wikki came out stronger in search of the equaliser and before long got a penalty after the referee adjudged Ezioha to have handled the ball. The subsequent spot kick was clinically converted by Tunde Aremu in the 55th minute.

    Ogunbote celebrated the draw saying the hardwork by the team has paid off.

    “All I know is that we have been working very hard. And we equally realise that there’s is no way we can do it without getting points on the road. Like I said, it’s good that we’ve been able to get a point, though I was hoping that we would be able to get three points. Unfortunately we could not but we still have to thank God for this game”.

    Sharks would be confronting neighbours, Bayelsa Utd at the weekend in a week nine encounter.