Lobi Stars head coach, Solomon Ogbeide, was at his oratory best on Friday evening when he faced the press ahead of Saturday’s CAF Champions League game against Wydad Casablanca, emphasising that his team will tap into their intrinsic motivation to progress further in the competition.
The Group A game was earlier scheduled for Friday but was postponed by 21 hours to Saturday afternoon following a political rally at the match venue in Enugu. Ogbeide insists his side has made no special preparations for Wydad and that they’re are naturally motivated in the competition.
“There is no special preparation (for the match). The same way we’ve been preparing is how we prepared for this,” began Ogbeide
“In terms of motivation, the kind of motivation we’re having is the one we call intrinsic motivation. Motivation in the sense that we know where we are and we know where we are going to.
“That is enough motivation for the players. Not necessarily money, that intrinsic motivation. We’re in the group stage and if we surpass here, we will be in the quarter finals. That intrinsic motivation is what is keeping us going and that is what the players are having.”
Since getting to the group stage of the competition, Lobi Stars have been faced with instability among their playing personnel as players have taken turns to leave the club in search of greener pastures abroad. Striker Sunday Adetunji is the latest player to be ruled out of Saturday’s game due to such move.
Ogbeide is however adamant that the movement of players abroad will not affect the club’s chances against Wydad.
“No way,” the former Warri Wolves coach retorted.
“We don’t train robots, we train human beings. If you’re not there, another man should be happy to play. A situation where one man is out and you’re finding it difficult to play means you don’t have a team. But we have a team where if you’re not there, another man is happily willing to play and we’re going to play the same way because they’re not robots.
“Actually, some (of the players) are gone (abroad) but it gives room for others to showcase themselves. Before our last match, one or two of them left, but we still played as a team,” added Ogbeide.
In the absence of Adetunji though, Lobi Stars will welcome back forward Samad Kadiri who has been away from the team for the past three weeks in a futile search of greener pastures abroad.
Saturday’s game will kickoff at 2pm Nigerian time at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium in Enugu.
