How Lobi survived relegation battle – Coach Ogenyi

Recently, your club defeated Kano Pillars 2-0 to escape relegation to the lower division. How excited are you?Actually, I am overwhelmed with joy. I give God the credit. All the glory should go to God, the good people of Benue State, members of the management team, particularly my brother and friend, Mr. Dominic Iorfa who […]

Recently, your club defeated Kano Pillars 2-0 to escape relegation to the lower division. How excited are you?
Actually, I am overwhelmed with joy. I give God the credit. All the glory should go to God, the good people of Benue State, members of the management team, particularly my brother and friend, Mr. Dominic Iorfa who saw something in me and called on me to come and help in technical and tactical capacity. He so much believes in my ability. This is the second time he is giving me this assignment. I thank God that I have never failed him. If you can remember the last time we had to beat Ranch Bees in Minna to escape relegation. After that I left for Enyimba. And this time again, I came at a very critical moment when the team was the last on the table. One good thing is that the vice-chairman Dominic Iorfa and the management team gave me all the support that I needed. They made things very easy for me. And above all, it was God and hard work on the part of the boys.
When you took over the team, what did you discover to be the problem militating against the progress of the team and what did you do?
When I took over, I discovered morale among the players was very low but I told them to believe in themselves. They were just coming from the continent where they lost 7-1 and after losing two matches at home, their self belief was at its lowest ebb. Morale was really low and I brought them together and with my knowledge of psychology, I tried to give them the self belief they had lost. And so with determination, God saw us through.
This means you are right now in cloud nine……
You can say that again. I am actually overwhelmed and like I said earlier God, the management and the entire staff of the club, including you who have been analytical in your reportage have been of immeasurable assistance. All of you should share in this glory. No single man should take the credit.
But coach, frankly speaking, when you accepted the job, how confident were you that you would save Lobi from relegation?
 I knew it was going to be possible. I am one of the few Nigerian coaches who had the opportunity of listening to my mentor Jose Mourinho when he came to Ilorin. I attended the prestigious coaching clinic organised by kwara Football Acdemy and I had the opportunity of listening to him for two days. He said we should ask questions and he would share his philosophy with us.  He believes that as a coach no other coach is better than him. The experience and knowledge I acquired from him reinvigorated strong confidence in me and I inculcated it in my players that no player is better than them. I always tell them that even the players in the national team, it is just a matter of time. I asked them to develop self confidence and believe that they can win away from home. Look at the two vital away draws we got. Nobody gave us any chance against Warri Wolves and Kwara United. We would have been nowhere without these two points. The players deserve special kudos. I can say I brought back their lost confidence and fighting spirit.
What is the way forward for you and Lobi Stars?
Actually we are going to start re-building immediately so that what happened to us this season won’t happen again. As you are aware we lost ten points at home this season. If not Lobi would have contested for continental. We have to start early and I am appealing that the government has been most supportive but they shouldn’t relax. More funds should be given to the management to see that we recruit quality players to beef up the team. Don’t forget that Lobi has a youth programme from where talents are going to be tapped.
Having contributed to saving Lobi from relegation, you must be a hot cake now. Are you going to move to another club?
For now with the kind of confidence that Mr. Dominic Iorfa in particular has given to me, it will be betray of trust and confidence to leave at this moment. You know when I left for Enyimba the other time, he was not happy. I had to apologise to him later. This is the second time he is giving me such opportunity so I think I have to stay and rebuild the team. If not like you said offers are coming but I have to stay. I look at it as service to my state. Moreover I share a lot of aspirations with him. Iorfa is very passionate about this team. He is someone who believes in any good course. He hates losing and that is the spirit he is inculcating in all of us in Lobi.