Yemi Olarenwaju, the head coach of Enyimba International, has expressed concerns about the team’s recent 3-0 defeat to Black Bulls in the CAF Confederation Cup, attributing the loss to a combination of fatigue and poor finishing. Despite the heavy scoreline, Olarenwaju believes the match was closer than the final result suggested, highlighting the challenges faced by his team in a congested fixture schedule.
Speaking after the match, Olarenwaju was quick to acknowledge his team's efforts, even though they were defeated. "If you ask me, I would say it was a good game by my team today, even though we lost 3-0," he explained. "The scoreline didn’t reflect how the game actually went. We controlled much of the match, but fatigue led to a lapse in concentration, and that’s when we conceded the goals."
Enyimba had a difficult journey to Mozambique, arriving just a day before the match after an intense travel schedule. "We only arrived here yesterday evening after a hectic travel schedule," Olarenwaju said. "We played a league match on Wednesday, then traveled to Lagos on Thursday before flying out to Mozambique on Friday. It’s been overwhelming for the players, and the effects were visible on the pitch."
The coach pointed out that two of the goals conceded came from corner kicks, a situation he described as "unnecessary" given how well his team had managed the game up until that point. "The first two goals came from set-pieces, and after the second, it became difficult to regroup and mount a comeback," he noted.
Enyimba’s fixture congestion has been a persistent issue, with the team playing five games in just two weeks, covering long distances in between. "We've been playing non-stop. Five matches in two weeks, plus all the travel, is not healthy for the players," Olarenwaju admitted. "With our next CAFCC game coming up, we'll have played another five league games, which makes it even more difficult to maintain focus and energy."
Looking ahead, Olarenwaju is calling for better management of the team's fixture calendar, urging Nigerian authorities to intervene. "It's a bit of a crazy situation. The schedule is clumsy and difficult to manage. We hope that the football authorities in Nigeria will step in to help balance our fixtures to ensure we can perform at our best," he stated.
Another area of concern for Enyimba this season has been their struggle in front of goal. "Our main problem has been finishing," Olarenwaju said. "Even today, we could have scored three or four goals, but we couldn’t capitalize on our chances. We need to bring in one or two strikers in January to strengthen the squad."
Despite the defeat, Olarenwaju remains hopeful that Enyimba can recover and perform better in their upcoming fixtures, both in the league and continental competitions. With the right adjustments, he believes the team can bounce back and compete more effectively in the second half of the season.
