body-container-line-1
11.04.2005 Football News

King Faisal put sack threat on Nigerian coach

11.04.2005 LISTEN
By OJEIKERE AIKHOJE, NIGERIA.

The result of last Sunday's CAF Confederations Cup match between Nigeria's Bendel Insurance of Benin and Ghanaian outfit, King Faisal Football Club of Kumasi, has put a sack threat on the club's coach, Godwin Uwua, who is one of the highest paid coaches in the Nigerian league.

www.ghanaweb.com can reveal that the coach, who has been under heavy criticism since he returned to the club sneaked out of the match venue before the centre referee blew the final whistle to avoid been lynched by irate fans.

Some of the fans had consistently called for his sack due to what they have described as the poor performance of the club, this season. In fact, there had been cases where the coach was harassed by fans whenever they play below expectation this season.

Sunday's match was not different as the Nigerians virtually struggled to make an impact on a day the fans had anticipated a complete battering of the visitors. The home side's performance was characterized by sloopy and uncoordinated play, which was a complete departure from their performance against Guinea's Kamsar in the previous round. It became so bad that the home fans resorted to boos and jeers to further show their disappointment.

Both sides played a goalless draw on match day, a result which gives the Ghanaian side a slight edge in their second confrontation on April 24, in Kumasi.

Ironically, Uwua, who has thrown in the towel in his previous clubs has declared that he would wait to be sacked this time around. According to him: "I don't want to quit, I want to be sacked," Uwua said in an interview with www.kickoffnigeria.com

www.ghanaweb.com also gathered that the embattled coach had a closed door meeting with the Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion over the present crisis faing the club.

Bendel Insurance, winners of the defunct CAF Cup in 1993 had struggled for over a decade to return to the continent. Despite the huge amount spent on recruiting players and the N8milion investment on coach Uwua, there are fears that their campaign in the competition would be halted prematurely by their Ghanaian foes, King Faisal.

The club is owned by the Edo State Goverment.

body-container-line