Ogunbote says Sharks is primed to swim to the top A gauge of Gbenga Ogunbote’s confidence ahead the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season could be seen in his picking the phone at about 5.20pm this Tuesday afternoon when other clubs have their players sweating on the pitch in last days’ fine-tuning of strategies to make hay and grab the enticing prize money staked by the League Management Company. Ogunbote had announced his departure from Sunshine Stars after guiding them to the CAF Champions League semi-finals in 2012 but surprisingly didn’t announce a new destination. And when Sharks swam in troubled waters in the 2012/13 season, stagnating at the rear of the log, the Okey Kpalokwu-led Management had no option than to look for a rescuer. Ogunbote was the target and his arrival at the Garden City swung things around for the Blue Angels albeit with huge struggles until the last three weeks of that season. It was an awkward time to place the call but when the voice came through from the other end, it elicited some apologies from this end…’sorry coach, I guess your training is being interrupted”, but after ascertaining who was calling, Ogunbote waived aside any considerations that he was being distracted from work. “No, I am not at the training ground, my phone would have been switched off if we were training”, he assured. So began the probes into Sharks outlook for the 2013/14 season and their plans to compete for a bigger chunk of the N75m pay-out. “Last season, I arrived at Sharks when they were having difficulties, bad results and we worked to improve their position which one is thankful that it materialized. “Starting from the outset with the team this season, we have expectations for a very successful season and this we look forwarding to achieving because we have built a team and are also expecting some new signings to improve the quality from last season”. Ogunbote has targeted some players he hopes will join to make Sharks formidable but he has also lost a number of them to Enyimba, Sunshine, Kano Pillars and Gombe United. “In trying to build a formidable squad that can achieve our expectations, I have naturally had some transfer targets and while three of them, a midfielder, Tunde Aremu from Wikki Tourists, defender, Akas Chima from 3SC and forward, Ajani Ibrahim from Sunshine, it will not be proper to list others who we are still working on their transfer papers. But suffice it to say that when all the targets are secured, Sharks will be the team to beat”, asserted the Coach who began coaching at top flight with the defunct NITEL FC, Lagos. Sharks are playing away to Bayelsa United in Match Day one which however has been rescheduled for midweek of March 12 and the soft spoken Gaffer says “this is as tough as an opener can be. One, it is nearly a Derby and also the very first game which every side would naturally want to put its best foot forward. Don’t also forget Bayelsa are playing on the continent which makes it tougher but we are determined to start well”. To start well means that CHAN revelation Christian Pyagbara has to bring his wealth of experience from the national team to lift Sharks, a development that is not lost on the coach. “Pyagbara has a name to defend, he’s got to show he earned the call to the national team and therefore must post an outstanding performance to get another call-up to the Super Eagles. “But we also have Thompson Stowe who was the team’s impact player last season. I expect he will continue from where he stopped if not to even do better. Stowe is in fact very much in my plans this season and with reliable goalkeeper Issa Danladi, we hope to reward our fans with the trophy that has never reached here since 1972.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:45:10 +0000
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