In the closing stretch of a season, survival is not built on hope; it is enforced through results. At Ikenne, Remo Stars delivered one of those results.
A commanding 3-0 win over Niger Tornadoes last weekend did more than secure three points; it pushed them out of immediate danger in a tense relegation battle.
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But for Technical Adviser Usman Abd’Allah, the message remains clear:
This fight is far from over.
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In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Abd’Allah breaks down the significance of the win, the pressure of survival, and the individuals driving Remo Stars forward.
Excerpts…
PT: Congratulations on the win. How important was the win for the team today?
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Abd’Allah: Very important. You see, this win is already expected. So anything less than this win would be a catastrophe. Luckily, by the grace of God, we got this three-pointer as planned. So I think the struggle continues.
We are out of the red line, but we try to keep the team out of it till the end of the season. It doesn’t mean we are out of the red zone, so we are out of relegation danger. But the struggle will continue till the last match of the season.
But what we will do now is go back home, and then we’ll see to it ourselves that we don’t go back into the red line till the end of the season.
PT: Alright, so three goals, three massive points for you, considering your negative goal difference on the log, how important was it to score more than just the goal in this one, to win this one?
Abd’Allah: I think since when we came back from Kano, that is what we were planning. Because it is like a must that we should get these three points.And also, to get us out of this, we have to score more.
So the training during the week was all about finishing, finishing, the technique of finishing, everything, tactics of finishing. And that’s what we did today.
And even in the pre-match talks with the players, this is what we are emphasising. Emphasising the defence, not to concede a goal. And this is exactly what happened, which means the work is done and done very well.
So this is done, we are out, we finished this week. So we have to go back and start thinking of the next matches in Aba.
PT: Victor Mbaomaa scored another goal today, 11 goals for the season. How important has he and his goals been for the team since his return to the league this season?
Abd’Allah: Very important, I think the player is very important for the team, the player is very important, even for the NPFL, because having this kind of experience, it excites people coming to watch the NPFL.
So congratulations to him. And I think he could have got two goals today, he could have just topped the chart. But he didn’t, I’m still optimistic that he might finish as the top scorer of the season.
I wish him very well, I wish him good luck, and I thank him. He did very well, and the same goes for all of us.
PT: Olalekan Adeleke had a fantastic game today; he had two assists in the game, in what is arguably his best performance in the Remo Stars jersey. How important were his contributions in the win against the Tornadoes?
Abd’Allah: He’s the youngest player in the team, I think this is his first NPFL. Earlier today, I wish you had seen me in the dressing room, I think I spent almost 15 minutes talking about him.
READ ALSO: INTERVIEW: Remo Stars captain Mbaoma reflects on crucial win, relegation battle, team spirit
Exactly, because he’s a very good boy, he’s improving. He’s a young player who is very respectful in the team.
He’s doing everything right, and the senior players will help him play well. And that’s what they did. I think he should have the best player of today. That was a fantastic game from him today. I wish him good luck, I’m very happy for him.
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