Abia Warriors Technical Adviser, Imama Amapakabo, has described the invitation of his team’s midfielder, Innocent Godwin, to the home-based Super Eagles’ camp as a “reward for hard work,” Completesports.com reports.
Godwin made the 35-player squad called up to the Nigeria senior national B team by Augustine Eguavoen for the CHAN qualifier between Nigeria and Ghana, scheduled for 20-22 December 2024.
The 2025 CHAN is set to be staged in Kenya, East Africa.
Amapakabo, a former Nigeria junior international goalkeeper, said Godwin’s call-up to the CHAN Eagles camp in his first NPFL season shows that hard work pays and that one must always give their best, knowing that someone, somewhere, is watching.
“I must give kudos to Innocent Godwin. He’s one of the players we recruited at the beginning of this season, and he’s done wonderfully well. He’s a combatant in that role that we genuinely need,” Amapakabo said after Abia Warriors defeated Bendel Insurance 1-0 in Benin in a matchday-9 fixture.
“It’s a big plus for him, you know, coming to the Nigeria Premiership for the first time and receiving an invite. I think it’s a major achievement for him.
“It also shows there’s room for advancement for anyone who works hard. It’s going to motivate him to do more, and it’s exemplary for the other players in the team to know that hard work does get noticed,” he added.
The 2024/2025 NPFL has witnessed 18 away wins in its first round of nine matches. Abia Warriors achieved their first away victory on Saturday, claiming three points with a 1-0 win over Bendel Insurance.
Amapakabo praised the improved quality of the league.
“Kudos to the organisers. We’ve seen an exciting league where teams play with belief. I told my players, ‘This is Benin, this is Edo State, this is Nigeria. Let’s play our game, and the result will come,'” he remarked.
“That’s how football should be. It’s not just about relying on home games, and I think credit is due to the league organisers, referees, and everyone involved for the significant improvements.”
After a brief stint in the Rwandan league, Amapakabo returned to the NPFL, now in his second term with Abia Warriors.
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Similarly, several ex-Nigeria internationals have recently taken top coaching positions in NPFL clubs. Emmanuel Amuneke MFR is now at Heartland, Daniel Amokachi at Lobi Stars, Finidi George at Rivers United, and Amapakabo himself at Abia Warriors.
The former Sharks of Port Harcourt goalkeeper told Completesports.com that this trend would benefit the NPFL, calling it a positive development for the nation’s elite league.
“Absolutely, we need these personalities to support the league. It gives the league a bit of impetus with the calibre of coaches now coming in,” Amapakabo said.
“At one point, many coaches lost faith in the league. But with these kinds of figures returning, it’s exciting. It enhances the league’s image when you have coaches of this magnitude involved. I was out for a while and came back, and it’s thrilling. Fans will see value for their money at the stadiums. Kudos to the management of teams now recognising the need for these coaches. There was a time club managers seemed to have an inferiority complex about hiring them, but now, let’s enjoy the beautiful game here in Nigeria.”
Amapakabo led Rangers to the NPFL title in 2015/2016 as Head Coach. He believes achieving a similar feat with Abia Warriors is possible.
“As I tell my players, the Nigerian League is unique because every team believes they have a chance to win. You can’t go to Spain and say you’ll win La Liga with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid around. But here in Nigeria, teams can defy expectations. Insurance came up from the lower league and went unbeaten for nearly 20 games. This is Nigeria, a land of possibilities,” Amapakabo concluded.
By Sab Osuji
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