ABUJA – Solomon Junior, captain of Bayelsa United Football Club, says the team’s success so far in the 2014 CAF Confederation Cup is due to the club’s former chief coach, Ladan Bosso.
Junior told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that their success was due to the recruitment of players by the coach.
He spoke in reaction to the 2014 CAF Confederation Cup play-off draw conducted in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday.
The draw saw the Yenagoa-based side drawn against Sewe Sport FC of Cote d’Ivoire, with the first leg encounter scheduled for the weekend of April 18 to April 20.
“Ladan Bosso, our former chief coach is the architect of our success so far. This is because he recruited 100 per cent of the current players in Bayelsa United FC.
“He was the coach of the team last season and he led us to qualification for the competition. His legacies are still here with us.
“We are actually feeling his absence, but we have to move on,’’ the club captain said.
Junior, however, said that playing against the Ivorien side would not be an easy task.
“It’s not going to be easy, but we the players are ready to take up the challenge, irrespective of the low motivation from the club management,’’ he said.
The Bayelsa United FC captain said the low motivation of players by the club management would not stop them from doing their job.
“This will rather boost the players’ morale.
“I have played against Sewe Sports when I was playing for ASEC Mimosa of Cote d’ Ivoire, and they are a very good side.
“But I am absolutely sure we will defeat them and move on to the next stage. I know that my teammates are up to the task.
“Even though there is no extra financial motivation, apart from what we have been getting as salaries, but we will forge ahead.
“We are paid to do a job and we just have to do the job, with or without the extra financial motivation. If it comes, we will be happy to take it,’’ Junior added.
He said he and his teammates were well aware that the team must play against strong opposition as the club progressed in the competition.
Junior then urged the club’s fans to continue to pray for the team as they move closer to the money-spinning stage of the competition.
“The players are ready to go all the way to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians in the competition,’’ he said.
The draw saw the eight clubs eliminated in the third round of the CAF Champions League drawn against the eight clubs which progressed from the CAF Confederation Cup.
They will face each other over two legs in April in the play-offs to determine the eight clubs for the group stage of the competition.(NAN)
