Last week, a video trended on X where Nigeria’s former Head of State, Yakubu Gown reacted to being overthrown in 1975. Gowon had been in an Organisation of African Unity meeting with other African leaders when he got the news.
Gowon was calm, composed, and even wore a big smile even though he had lost his job as the country’s number 1 citizen, and when the press tried pushing to get a confirmation from him on the overthrowing, he replied with a big smile “no comments.”. Gowon’s reaction certainly needs to be studied.
He was losing everything and he was not present to fight back.
A Tale of New Head Coaches In The NPFL
But in football, rarely do we have coaches sit in their dugout without a fight. The emotions, the desire, the hunger will not just allow for calmness even when winning a game. Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, and Jurgen Klopp are managers you see on the touchline ever reacting no matter the situation.
Becoming a new manager at a club can be an exciting and challenging experience. Be it a fresh coach just learning the ropes or an experienced gaffer, it requires adapting to a new environment, building relationships with players and staff, and implementing a new vision and strategy for success.
Three weeks have gone down in the new season of the NPFL after a sudden delay and postponement by the league organizing body. The anticipation for week 4 is elevated with the first South West derby upon us, as Sporting Lagos visits Remo Stars while four former champions are swimming at the bottom of the table.
STANDINGS.#NPFLLive #NPFL24 pic.twitter.com/QLqOhXxZIt
— NPFLLive (@NPFL_Live) October 15, 2023
But before the start of the season, teams had seen an overhaul in just players but coaching crew. We had seen lots of coaches move and a few upgraded to head coaches from assistants.
Sports Intel takes a look at what the new managers will bring to their new teams and if at the end of the season, fruits would have been borne from the tree.
Fidelis Ilechukwu (Rangers)
The Enugu-based team did have a torrid period last term under Abdu Maikaba. Although they got to the finals of the 2023 FA Cup, losing 1-0 to Bendel Insurance, the Flying Antelopes’ fans were not satisfied with their performance in the league.
Abdu Maikaba’s contract had expired at the end of the season giving way for the club to bring Fidelis Ilechukwu whose contract with Plateau United was equally expiring.
Ilechukwu is seen as one of the most enterprising coaches in the NPFL. His exploits with MFM FC, a private club that broke into the topflight under his tutelage and qualified for the CAF Champions League afterward is what has earned him his flowers.
After the MFM journey, he joined Heartland before taking tabs with Plateau United. Ilechukwu’s team is known for free-flowing attacking football. That style of football is what made Plateau United finish second losing the title to Rivers United in the latter days of the 2022 season and controversially crashing out of the CAF Champions League.
Ilechukwu has coached 6 seasons in the top-flight, his first season in 2017 and his record shows a 39% win.
With everything new at Rangers, Ilechukwu will need to replicate the 2016 glory for the Flying Antelopes although he himself has not won a trophy as a coach.
Fatai Osho (Akwa United)
Sugar ball as his style of play is fondly called. Osho has been in the NPFL since 2018. He started with Remo Stars before joining Enyimba.
Osho’s journey as one of the top NPFL coaches has been patient and consistent. Osho has built that experience to a high extent making his CV very recommendable.
He formerly worked as an assistant coach under Usman Abdallah after resigning from Remo Stars. Fatai Osho would become head coach at Enyimba after Abdallah was sacked.
He led Enyimba to a quarter-final finish on the continent in 2020 and ensured the Elephants finished in continental slots that same season in the league.
Osho became an assistant at Rivers United where he was part of the historic Rivers United to win the 2022 NPFL title.
His brand of football is more of the modern style of “Tiki Taka” and he is highly held in the football space. Except for the league title at Rivers United, Osho has not won any trophy as a head coach. His best finish in the league will be the third-place finish with Enyimba.
Now with a side (Akwa United) that won the title in 2021, Sugar Ball will be hoping to rub off his experience from Rivers United to clinch a second title for the Promise Keepers and a first in his name but the start of the season has not been rosy for him.
Abdu Maikaba (Kano Pillars)
Maikaba is one of the top-rated coaches in Nigeria. His journey started with Abuja FC before getting a chance at Enyimba as an assistant coach.
Since then, he has coached top teams in the NPFL with the latest of them being Rangers International FC. He did not make the top 3 with Rangers in his two-year tenure but managed to get to the finals of the FA Cup losing to Bendel Insurance in his last year.
Maikaba’s near glory moments started in 2020 with Plateau United when the league was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plateau United had been at the top of the table and looked like they would win the title.
However, Maikaba clinched the FA Cup trophy with Akwa United in 2017 before leaving the club in 2018.
Maikaba is now back in the North with Kano Pillars who just got promoted. His focus will be to ensure retention of their topflight status but a traditional team like Pillars will be looking for more in the season.
The former Wikki Tourists coach will need to give it all to ensure Kano Pillars not only remain in the league but also challenge for a title in the course of the season but they currently sit bottom of the table after three weeks of action.
Mohammed Babaganaru (Gombe United)
Babaganaru’s recent sojourn in the NPFL has brought his name to the lips of fans. Ganaru took an almost relegated Lobi Stars team in 2022 to almost challenging for the NPFL title in 2023.
Although the team did not perform to expectations at the Super 6, Ganaru showed that he still has what it takes to lead a top-flight team.
The former two-time Kano Pillars manager will look to replicate such performance with the Savannah Scorpions of Gombe United as they aim to retain their top-flight status for three consecutive seasons.
Ganaru will be under less pressure at Gombe United and he will be aiming to achieve some success with the Savannah Scorpions at the end of the season.
Already, most of these coaches are having a mixed season. While Ilechukwu’s Rangers are flying, Osho’s sugar ball is tasting bitter. For Maikaba, his Pillars are crumbling while Ganaru’s Scorpions are less harmful with their stings.
It might still be early days but we wait to see what the tactics will yield at the end of the season.