Absence of Imo, Okoronkwo Won’t Affect Amazons’ Title Defence, Says Danjuma

Absence of Imo, Okoronkwo Won’t Affect Amazons’ Title Defence, Says Danjuma

NWPL SUPER 4

Nasarawa Amazons Head Coach, Chris Danjuma has vowed to successfully defend the league crown at the upcoming Nigeria Women Premier League (NWPL) Super 4 despite the absence of two key players, Amarachi Okoronkwo and Anam Imo.

The duo recently headed to Europe to pursue their professional career with the Hungarian giants, Ferenavarosi Torna Club. The two-some were standout at the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Ghana where Nigeria claimed her ninth title.

Anam Imo still holds the bragging rights as the top scorer of the 2017/18 NWPL regular season and was crucial for her side coming top of their group on a princely 29 points.

The 2018 NWPL Super 4 tournament will hold from January 23 to January 26 among the quartet, reigning champions, Nasarawa Amazons, Bayelsa Queens, Sunshine Queens and 2018 Aiteo Cup winners, Rivers Angels.

Danjuma insisted that his side have tens of the duo, Imo and Okoronkwo in their fold to make the title defence quite an easy ride.

“The 2018 Nigeria Women Premier League (NWPL) Super 4 title will return back to Lafia at the end of the days’ proceedings.

“Nasarawa Amazons are the defending champions of the Nigerian women topflight and we are coming to Lagos to show our stuff aimed at retaining the title.

“People are already expressing deep worries over our ability to defend the title due to the absence of our two key players, Anam Imo and Amarachi Okoronkwo.

“Yes, the two players were key members of the team and quite useful to the team’s past achievements.

“We will certainly feel their absence at the NWPL Super 4 no doubt about it but nobody is indispensable. I’m confident their absence will not hinder us from retaining the league crown.

“Their absence is somehow going to be a blessing in disguise that will throw up more Imos and Okoronkwos in our midst.

“We have good pool of players for each of the departments, at least, we have three or four players to each department.

“We have good and quality replacements for Imo and Okoronkwo, I can tell you that at the end of the day tens of Imo and Okoronkwo will come to the limelight.

“We want to use the 2018 NWPL Super 4 to prove to the doubters that Nasarawa Amazons can win title anywhere. We equally want to make a case once again that our 2017 Super 4 victory in Benin City was not a fluke but well-deserved.

“I’m happy our first match will be a repeat of the NWFL 2018 Champions Shield clash we hope to right the wrong this time around when we face Rivers Angels.

“We cannot be beaten twice by same team and denied the silverware we so much want in our cabinet,” said the former Nigerian coach to NWFL Media.

The NWPL Super 4 showpiece is designed to be straight forward format this time around. Regular season’s group leaders will face the groups’ runners-up in the first match showdown.

The winners will head straight to the final to determine the season’s champions while the losers settle for the third place match.

The Al Makura Girls are winners of Group B and will confront perennial rivals and Group A runners-up, Rivers Angels.

Similarly, Group A winners, Bayelsa Queens will square up with Group B runners-up and newcomers, Sunshine Queens.

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