Newly appointed Head Coach of Akwa Warriors, Imama Amapakabo who was recently revealed to take charge from interim manager, Willy Udube has revealed the reason behind his decision to join the Umuahia based club despite luxurious offers from willing suitors.
In his interview, Imama explained that he had a call earlier on the day he was to be unveiled, he said “If I followed the call, I wouldn’t have been here, am stubborn, I went to Maiduguri when everybody thought it was not possible, I went to coach a team there, Port Harcourt to Umuahia is like two hours’ drive, I want to be closer home, the board are ambitious and it suits me, they want to match talk with actions.”
During his unveiling as head Coach, he posited that it will be folly of him and the management there isn’t any aspiration with the new path, with sights on a lot of work which has to be done to get it right.
“Everybody has a right to dream, it’s only those who work hard on their dream that will get the success, I have had the privileged of dreaming and also working hard on it, when am privileged, I want to discuss with the management board, they also do not want to just wake up on their dream but also work hard, that’s the first step getting it.”
“My signature, everyone knows that my team wherever I have handled knows that we want to play, I want to enjoy football same as everyone in the stadium, I want to cook and let people smell the odor of the delicious soup, if it’s not happening, then it is what it is,” he said of the club’s facilities.
“The challenge everyone has put out to me is that am plain tough that’s why when I came in, I started walking around, I wanted to feel the turf and all that, even in the law of the game as stated by FIFA, pitch is very paramount, we have to see how best we can manage this turf, what we all want to achieve can’t be done if we don’t work, Rangers was what nobody thought could be possible, everybody came into a level plain field, I think I have discussed with the boards of Abia Warriors, they want to come also in the level plain field. In my capacity, it would sit nice on my CV like it did when I was in Rangers when we won the league. The truth is that my personality precedes my person, so when am coming here, everyone is saying he’s back in the league to win it and it’s a plus for Abia Warriors team.”
“For Willy Udibe, the interim manager, it is the responsibility of the management to tell me who I work with and who I don’t work with, my contract terms are very clear, I want to respect and honor it and believe the management of Abia Warriors will also honor it, I want to state this categorically, Imama Amapakabo is not one you can have players imposed on, I won’t be here, I will walk away, simple,”
“With the support from Abia people, all of the club aims will be achieved,” Imama promised.
