Hamza Abara: How I reactivated Niger Tornadoes winning mentality
IV In this interview with SHOT!, the interim Technical Adviser of Niger Tornadoes, Hamza Abara said when he was appointed to head the team’s technical crew, he sat down with the players and lectured them on self confidence and motivation. The young gaffer
Since you took over at Niger Tornadoes, the team has gone seven matches unbeaten. What did you do to turn around the fortunes of the club?
Thank you for the opportunity. I have been asked this same question before and I keep answering that it is the work of God. I want to thank almighty Allah for giving me the opportunity, for guiding and protecting me. Secondly, I want to appreciate the state government for their unflinching support. Thirdly, my gratitude goes to the management committee for having the confidence in me and giving me the opportunity to be at the helm of Niger Tornadoes technical crew. Fourthly, I give kudos to my players and assistant coaches for their great support and understanding. When I took over, we had to psyche up the players. We tried to change their mentality. So many players believe they can’t play under other coaches. They think they can only do well under a particular coach. I try to make them understand that they cannot play under one coach forever. I said they should expect so many coaches in their career. That was one of the areas we talked to them about. Again, most of the players are from the national League so they didn’t have the required experience. They were not used to pressure from coaches and the fans. I spoke to them about all these. And also every coach has their own football philosophy. I arrived with mine and my players have embraced it. Our winning mentality is back.
Did your appointment come to you as a surprise?
Yes of course, I wasn’t expecting it. I was a bit ill and lying down in my sitting room when the man who is a father to me, the chairman of the club called me. He asked if I was alone and I said yes. He then told me that my boss was going so I should get ready to take over immediately. I was shocked by the sudden development. However, I composed myself quickly because I believed I can do it. This is not my first time of handling Niger Tornadoes as Head Coach. I did it so many times when we were in the National League. So it is nothing new to me.
How cordial was your working relationship with your predecessor, Coach Erasmus Onuh?
Honestly we had a very cordial relationship. Even at this time, I still call him to seek advice from him. I am the youngest coach in NPFL and I am learning everyday so I don’t hesitate to seek advice from senior coaches. I have a cordial relationship with him.
If you still consult him, it means he is a good coach. What then was responsible for the poor results that led to his sack?
I believe he was not lucky at a stage in the league. He is a very good coach. I worked under so many coaches and I have gained a lot from them. He is the last coach I worked with and I know what I gained from him. I repeat Onuh is not a bad coach. Luck only deserted him at the time the team was not winning matches.
You have just won the League Bloggers’ Coach of the Month award. How is this going to motivate you?
It is my first award and it is going to increase my confidence. I was in my bedroom when I was called that I have won the best coach for the month of March. It is a big boost to my confidence and I now believe I can do more than what I have achieved so far. I am looking forward to more. This is just the beginning. I want to make a name in Nigerian football.
When you were nominated, did you believe you were going to win the award?
To be honest with you, I wasn’t expecting the award at this time. I was up against some of the best coaches in the league. In fact, they are all senior colleagues with lot of experience. However, I was picked as the best coach for the month of March. I am the least among them so that is why the award is so special to me. I am indeed short of words to express my appreciation.
Looking back, how did you prosecute your first home match after you were appointed interim technical adviser of Niger Tornadoes?
Well,
Igoing to be our first home match at home after two to three years. We were playing our home matches away at the Confluence stadium Lokoja. I was also away for a while until when I returned to join Tornadoes again when the present season was in week four. So I took things easy. I refused to put my boys under pressure. I didn’t discuss the match. We operated as if nothing was at stake. We played and trained as if there was no league match that week. I spoke to my boys on the day of the match and it was not for more than 15 minutes. I let them understand why I didn’t talk to them. I said I didn’t want them to be tensed up. I want them to relax in order to have a good match. I told them they would see huge crowd that they had never seen in their lives. And it happened exactly like that. I told them if they can handle the pressure, not being jittery, we shall carry the day and they did exactly like that. That was the plan and it worked. We defeated Abia Warriors 2-0 in my first match in charge this season.
Would you say playing your matches in Minna is also helping the fortunes of the club?
Honestly, there is no place like home. The homes fans are giving us maximum support. Anytime we have a home match, they come out en mass to support us. And we are also doing our best not to disappoint them. I know that as long as we are playing well, the fans will keep coming to support us.
What is your toughest match since you took over the team?
The toughest match was my first home match against Abia warriors and the last away match against Go Round in Omuoku. Though Go Round are at the bottom of the table, they gave us a very tough time. Since I took over the team, they are the second team that has scored against me. The other team is Kano Pillars but it was under controversial circumstances. They kept pressure on us from the blast of the referee’s whistle till they scored. We tried to absorb the pressure but we couldn’t. They are a very good side.
What is your best match for now?
I will still say the Abia Warriors match. It was my first match in charge of the team this season and expectation was high from the management and fans of the club. In the end, we won to begin our revival.
Having returned to winning ways, would you say Niger Tornadoes will pick one of the continental tickets at the end of the season?
I have been asked this question before but I remained silent because I am the youngest coach in the league so I don’t want to expose myself to unnecessary pressure. I don’t want to talk too much. I want my performance to speak for me. However I will be the happiest man, if I can win a continental ticket. It will enrich my curriculum vitae. So I am working hard to see what God will do for us at the end of the season.
Out of four NPFL clubs, only Enyimba is left standing in the continent. Is this good commentary on the Nigerian league?
It is a sad commentary on the Nigerian League. In Kano during a postmatch interview, journalists asked me a similar question and I told them that what is affecting our league is officiating. If we have fair officiating, our teams will do well in the continent because only the best teams will qualify to represent Nigeria. If you look at the teams, I knew that only Enyimba would go far. They have good players and the required experience in the continent. So my opinion is that once we start having true champions of the league, we shall do well in the continent. The best clubs should be allowed to win the league. If we can correct that our league will be among the best in the world. The League Management Company are doing their best but they must not rest on their oars.
Going by the performance of the clubs in the continent, would you say we still have quality players in the league?
We still have good players in the league. Let me go back to Go Round which I spoke about earlier. If you look at that team, they are battling in the relegation zone but you need to watch them play. They have fantastic players. They are opponents but honestly speaking, I am satisfied with their performance. There are still good players in the league. We just need better organisation and motivation
This is just the beginning. I want to make a name in Nigerian football