MFM basketball team coach, Aderemi Adewunmi has said his young team will be fearless when they take on Dolphins in the second semi-final game of the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League on Tuesday.
MFM basketball team will take on 2015 champions Dolphins while defending champions First Bank tackle Nigeria Customs.
A former coach of Dolphins between 1998 and early 2000, Adewunmi, said his determined team is ready to give it their best when the game tips off at 6pm on Tuesday.
MFM lost their Atlantic Conference game to Dolphins in Enugu last week.
“With the level of the young girls facing an experienced side we will just go out there and play and do our best,” he said
Adewunmi who was contracted few days to the commencement of the women’s League told ACLSports.com how he teamed up with the church team.
“It was very difficult to put them together there was nothing on ground. Godwin Enekhena called me that it has materialised because we have been working on it for some time for over three years. He just called all of a sudden that I should just come and help and I had no choice because he is my very good friend.”
“I came to Lagos and within 2-3 days I had to look for young players. I got some from Raptors Basketball Academy like 4 then I called experienced players like Regina, Joy, Oluchi and Juliet who were already on ground then the remaining young players I called coach Tony from Bayelsa we have been working together so he brought like 6. I told Tony to continue with them in Enugu then the ones I could gather in Lagos I prepared them and we started playing the second day we got to Enugu.”
MFM director of sports, Godwin Enekhena had earlier revealed to ACLSports.com that Adewunmi has been contacted for the job https://aclsports.com/mfm-set-to-participate-in-zenith-bball-league-enakhena/
Despite no target set for Adewunmi, the former First Bank basketball coach now has his eyes on the title after surpassing his personal target.
“No target was set for me just to get the girls together and make sure we represent MFM in Enugu. But personally mine was to qualify for the final 6 and miraculously we played big teams and we made it through.
“We will continue to fight for the first position I won’t say because we got to the semi-finals then give up I won’t until a team defeat us. I will keep encouraging the girls to do well,” Adewunmi said
The Ahip Giants basketball head coach won’t mind switching back to coaching a female team if given the opportunity but remains committed to his contract with the Kano based team.
“I still have contract with Ahip I couldn’t say no because of my personal relationship with Godwin so I had to help out. I don’t have a contract with MFM rather took permission from Ahip to come help them and they gave me the go ahead and because it’s a two different team, male and female. But if given the chance to coach MFM I’ll jump on it,” he revealed
Adewunmi started with Dolphins in 2008 in their debut season in the league and finished fourth in his second season before leaving the club.
The former Dolphins gaffer has won the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women twice 2003 and 2009, finishing 2nd four times and 3rd six times for First Bank Basketball Club before switching to the male team.
The two finalists will represent Nigeria at the 2018 FIBA Women’s Club Championship.
