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Tag: Imama

  • Imama to get N53m if sacked

    Imama to get N53m if sacked

    SCORENigeria has been reliably informed that champions Enugu Rangers will have to shell out as much as N52.5m, being Imama Amapakabo’s salaries for 21 months, should they sack him.

    Rangers have handed Imama a “suspended sack” following the team’s recent poor run with officials telling SCORENigeria a decision will be taken on the coach shortly.

    A top insider has now told SCORENigeria that the new contract the young coach signed after he led Rangers to win the NPFL championship last year stipulated that should he be sacked, he will be entitled to a pay off of 21 months’ salaries.

    Imama is the highest earning coach in the NPFL with a monthly salary of N2.5m after he turned down even more lucrative offers from the likes of Kano Pillars and Akwa United at the end of last season.

    It therefore means Rangers will have to shell out N52.5m to see the back of the former Enyimba and Sharks coach.

    On Sunday, they host Zesco United of Zambia in a CAF Confederation Cup final playoff.

  • Rangers target Zambia World Cup stars for Champions League – Imama

    Rangers target Zambia World Cup stars for Champions League – Imama

    Nigeria champions, Rangers have listed two Zambia World Cup stars as well as players from Cote d’Ivoire and Benin Republic ahead of next year’s CAF Champions League.

    Coach Imama Amapakabo  disclosed that Rangers are already in contact with two Zambians, who played against Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month as well as two Ivorians, whose experience on the continent will be needed.

    “We are also targeting a Benin Republic international whose name I don’t want to disclose yet to boost the squad we have on ground,” Imama added.

    “We are equally working relentlessly to ensure that we keep our best players.

    “As I speak, I am on my way to Enugu to submit my contract papers and discuss with the management on how we can start negotiating with clubs about the players needed for the CAF Champions League.

    “We will give it our best to represent the country and prove that Rangers are worthy champions of Nigeria.”

  • Imama: The book, Rangers is closed for me

    Imama: The book, Rangers is closed for me

    History-making coach, Imama Amapakabo has announced his contract with Rangers ended on Sunday after he led the club to win the Nigeria league after 32 years.

    The 43-year-old former goalkeeper said: “The book, Rangers is closed. We will see if we will open another book again. On the pitch on Sunday, I closed the book and I tried to see which is the next book to read. We have been able to read this particular book, it is closed now. We will open another book.”

    The former Nigeria U-17 international celebrated his first season in charge of a premier league club by leading Rangers to a major trophy after a 32-year wait.

    He has now been linked with South African club, Chippa United, deposed champions Enyimba, Kano Pillars and Sunshine Stars.

    He said: ”I have been linked with many clubs, but I will just sit back and let God lead me. God leads and I follow.”

    He further admitted that personally it was a tough and rough road to victory for him.

    “When I started out, nobody believed in me but they did not stop from giving me a chance,” recalled the coach, who has assisted the likes of Solomon Ogbeide, John Obuh and Kadiri Ikhana. I am a young man, I am not from this clime (Eastern Nigeria), I did not play for Rangers…they were factors and they were tough to deal with. I was an unknown quantity, but here we are today.”

  • Rangers coach Imama insists no celebrations yet

    Rangers coach Imama insists no celebrations yet

    Coach of Nigeria champions-in-waiting, Imama Amakapabo has insisted he will only celebrate after next Sunday’s home game against El Kanemi.

    Rangers have 60 points from 35 matches and need only a point against El Kanemi to end a 32-year wait for a major trophy.

    “We got the desired victory, we have 90 minutes to play for the trophy, the championship is in sight. We just have to keep our heads on our shoulders,” said Imama

    “Rangers still have one game to play this season. We must be focused, but it is not yet over.”

    Skipper Okey Odita credited God for his team’s splendid run this season. It has been God, He has been awesome and I return all the glory to Him,” said the experienced central defender.

    The Rangers coach said Sunday’s 2-1 win at Ikorodu United was won and lost in the first 45 minutes.

    “We wrapped it up in the first half,” he said.

    “I predicted that and luckily we did that. We should not have conceded a late goal .”

    Ikorodu United Dutch coach Theo De Jong also agreed the match was decided in the first period.

    “We gave it away in the first half. We were bad in first half, we were not ourselves, maybe nervous,” he said.

    On the basis of the first half, they deserved to win.

    “But in the second half, we recovered very well but we only scored a goal.

  • Why Rangers lost – Imama

    Why Rangers lost – Imama

    Rangers international head coach, Imama Amapakabo has said he was disappointed with his side’s 2-1 defeat to Shooting Stars in Saturday’s Nigeria Professional Football league match.

    The Enugu based team, who are gunning for their first title in 32 years drew first blood, but Gbenga Ogunbote’s men scored twice later in the game to pick all three points.

    “I just want to calm down and reflect on today’s game because I don’t want to talk so I won’t put my team in trouble,” Amapakabo told Goal.

    The former Warri Wolves gaffer said he has pity on his players whose efforts are being shortchanged by a must win syndrome in the NPFL.

    “I sometimes feel for my players because they put in so much but their efforts are being short-changed by some people.

    “I feel sorry not because I lost, I feel sorry for football and the state at which it is going in this country, but I don’t want to be seen as a crying baby coach.

    “Three games to go and I can tell you  we are going to play, two home games and one away, and we just want to play, we will go back home and keep pushing it until the very last minute.

    “Right now from my calculations, we are second on the log, and we’ll keep pushing it.

    “If Rangers had played the league like every other teams with the mind set of winning at home at all cost, that saved Shooting stars playing at home because they got a last minute penalty to equalise against us, but like I said, I just want to enjoy football and keep on working harder everyday,” he said.

  • Imama won’t be on Eagles bench

    Imama won’t be on Eagles bench

    Super Eagles assistant coach, Imama Amapakabo will not sit on the bench when the team face Tanzania in an AFCON qualifier in Uyo today.

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have strenuously denied an order by Gernot Rohr that the Enugu Rangers coach stays clear of the national team.

    However, even though Rohr has yet to formalise this decision, it has been gathered Rohr will stick with his decision not to work with Imama.

    “No matter what anyone will say, Rohr has made it clear he does not wish to work with Imama. You will not see him having any serious role to play with the team and today, he will not sit on the Eagles bench,” a top source informed.

    Imama rejoined title chasers Rangers on Wednesday for a rescheduled league game against MFM FC.

    Rohr has three assistants who have accompanied him from Europe – a fitness trainer, a video specialist and a technical adviser.

  • Imama rejects bribe

    Imama rejects bribe

    Rangers coach Imama Amapakabo turned down bribe from two players who were desperate to be signed just as the Enugu club penciled down 18 players after a screening exercise.

    Imama, who has bagged a new one-year contract, turned down two players who brought cash in brown envelopes to bribe the coach to sign them.

    In the meantime, Rangers have concluded a screening of mostly non-league players ahead of the new season after they picked 18 of them to be considered for the next round of the trials.

    Former Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu was part of the screening exercise. Rangers finished 12th last season.