By Peoples’ Guide Reporters
The Ebonyi All Progressives Congress Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha has advised players of the Abakaliki Football Club popularly known as De Rice Boys to remain focus and stop playing to entertain.
Chief Emegha gave the advice when he was received in the Pa Ngele Oruta Township stadium by Abakaliki Supporters Club during the match that ended in favor of the Abakaliki FC and Osun United FC who beats them 2-0.
According to Emegha, “Football is one of the major game that unites the whole world, it’s only in the pitch that you see that one’s temperament goes down; even if it’s countries that are in war with one another, be it confederation cup, league or any match, you see their citizens playing together and if anyone fell down, the opponent will rush and raise him up.
“However, thank God that gave us somebody like the governor, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru who is a Sports lover and parts of his policies were geared toward touching lives in all circles knowing also that sports go in a long way to controlling youth restiveness, and I wish to say that if not for this match, you would see most of these players by now would have engaged in organize crime ”
Speaking on fear of relegation, Emegha advice the players to see football as a business and not playing to entertain “If God had not taking you to where you wish to be, don’t start putting eyes, be patience and know that football is a business and not place to entertain. I was a player and played up to Cameroon, Football is business and not to entertain. I charge them to know that it’s not about us, but their future and career, because if you play well and any European league come and buy any of them, the benefits will go to them but state is doing a lot to raise them because I know how much I spent to buy some of them booth and this is no longer the time you complain that nobody is encouraging you or buying you booth.
“They should see it that the government is playing their own part which they should do by listening to the Coach and do exactly what he asked you to do. I saw some of them plait, colour their hair, and the rest, that’s not what we want now as there will be time for such; the time for that will come,when you might have played and made name for yourself, we want next Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo,Mikel Obi to come from Ebonyi.
“We want win in the final of the president Federation Cup seeing the heavy investment from our governor who wants the best for our player; we want to see the cup in Ebonyi.” He asserted
Earlier, the Chairman Abakaliki FC Supporters Club, Prince Maurice Mbam expressed joy over the tremendous performance of the players saying that the team has proven that they know what their supporters want.
“Football is all about what you give is what you received. Somehow we were disappointed with the league, but impressed with the FA, but the Boys had proven that they know what they were doing by securing their place in the FA and bounced back to take what they need in the league and NNL.
“And today,we launched our supporters jersey and they have shown us that our support is not in vain . So, they have proved to us that they know what we want and we are ready to give it to them.” He concluded.