ABS’ primary objective for now is not the NPFL title
Former international and Technical Adviser of Abubakar Bukola Saraki, ABS, FC, Coach Henry Makinkwa has said even as his club is presently doing well in the Nigerian topflight, they are not thinking of winning this year’s Nigeria Professional Football Lea
Your club is among the top five clubs in the NPFL. How do you fancy your chances of winning the 2017 NPFL title?
No! No!! winning the league is too big for us. We just want to do well. We want to see how far we can go. To wake up and say we are winning the league, I think is not realistic. However, if it happens, great but that is not our primary objective for now. We want to do well in the topflight and see how far we can go.
What is the secret behind your team’s good run so far?
The driving force is the players. They are young and ready to learn. They are ready to fight for every point in the league. There is no secret other than the fighting spirit being exhibited by my players. If you remember, we went through a difficult route to get to the NPFL and that toughened the boys. When we eventually qualified to play in the NPFL, the boys saw that it is a big platform for them to market themselves. They are also trying to better their lives.
How much support is ABS enjoying from the government and people of Kwara State?
It is simply amazing. We enjoy so much support from everyone in the state. The young and old are in love with the club. And we also enjoy government backing right from the governor down to the commissioner of sports. Our amiable chairman, Seni Saraki, though a youngster, has been wonderful. His support for us has been massive. And then our football director, Mr. Alloy Chukwuemeka, a journalist per excellence and astute football administrator has been solidly behind us. He provides us with direction and balance. So it has been team work and not individual success.
It is an open secret that the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki is the proprietor of ABS FC. Considering his tight schedule, does he have time for the club?
As you and I know, with big men, everything is protocol. There is protocol and we follow it diligently. Moreover, he gives us the money we need so what else can we ask for?. In addition, his son is the Chairman of the club and Alloy is always with us. He has confidence in them and other officials of the club. He does not have to attend our training session. As you know he is a very busy man. However, he follows our matches.
Has he attended any of your matches this season?
He has not come this season but we are expecting him. He promised us a surprise visit so we are looking forward to it. But it may interest you to know that despite his tight schedule, he still finds time to watch our matches online. With the recent innovation by the LMC, one can watch the games online. There is live streaming of matches so he creates time to watch our matches.
Which match would you say is your toughest match so far?
Without doubt, it was the game against MFM in Ilorin. They play similar kind of football with us. They also have young lads. It was a tough match. All matches have been tough but we have to single this one out of many. For instance, FC IfeanyiUbah came and it was a difficult one. Our match against Akwa United was another difficult one. And our last match against Wikki Tourists was equally difficult. It was like we were not going to score. It was a straight fight between us and their goalkeeper. After the match, I found out that he is a member of the Super Eagles or the national U-23 team and I said no wonder, he is such a fantastic goalkeeper. So all the matches have been tough but I just have to single out our match against MFM.
Which match stands out as your best for now?
Well it was our match against Akwa United, a senior team with a senior coach. They played fantastic football that day. It was a difficult one but in the end, we got the goal that gave us the victory we needed.
Which match did you lose that left a bitter taste in your mouth?
Our loss at Kano Pillars was very painful. They scored against us in the 96th minute. It was lack of experience. Our boys thought it was over but Pillars players with their experience kept fighting until they got that goal. It was a fantastic goal and could not be faulted by anyone. They used their experience against us. If you go to Kano and you get a draw, it’s like picking the maximum points but conceding when you are waiting for the final whistle, you can only imagine the pain.
What is your candid assessment of the Nigeria Professional Football League?
The standard is high now. LMC is doing a great job. Officiating too has improved. However, you cannot rule out human error completely. There have been one or two cases like that but over all, there has been so much improvement. Before if you were going for an away match, you will just be sure of losing but now it is no longer like that. If you play badly at home, you will lose and heavens will not fall. That is a big achievement. Another area that has improved so much is security. Look at Shooting Stars match against Remo Stars. The match ended in a 1-1 draw but the visiting fans were not molested by the home fans. They left in peace. If it were in the olden days, there would have been violence after the match just because Remo held 3SC to draw in Ibadan. We have to commend LMC.
Are there any areas that you feel should be given more attention?
Like I said LMC are doing a fantastic job and there is little or nothing to complain about. However, I want to say that the midweek matches are taking a great toll on the clubs. I know they are trying to bridge the gap with the European leagues. However, as the clubs are making sacrifice, the LMC too should think of other ways to support the clubs in prosecuting the midweek matches. While few clubs travel to long distances by air, small clubs like us go by road. Therefore, it becomes difficult when we have weekend and midweek matches. It will help so much if the LMC would come to the assistance of clubs with air tickets for midweek matches. If they can say let’s look at the clubs that need this help this week, it will help reduce the pains of the clubs. If we are to travel to Maiduguri for midweek match, the LMC can decide to assist us with air tickets. If El-Kanemi Warriors are to travel to Calabar for midweek match, they will definitely be happy, if assisted with air tickets.
For those who don’t know you, who is Coach Henry Makinwa?
I was a professional player. I played for Concord and Iwuanyanwu National before I travelled abroad to play in Spain, Portugal and Scotland. I also played for Nigeria. When I stopped playing in 2010, I went to coaching school in Spain, for that is where I live. That’s where my family is, After three years, I graduated with UEFA pro licence and I applied for the job of ABS. The chairman Seni Saraki invited me for interview and I was appointed. I came in last year. I was very lucky with the boys and we gained promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League and here we are competing against the best clubs in the country.