Followers of football in Nigeria have tipped Kano Pillars to lift the cup this year, noting that most of the teams remaining in the League phase of the championship cannot pose serious problems to them.
However, some pundits have warned the team against complacency, maintaining that underrating any team at this crucial stage of the Championship can be very dangerous and counterproductive.
Former president of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), and coordinator of Kano Pillars’ champions League campaign, Ibrahim Galadima, promised that nothing will be left to chance in their bid to ensure that the Cup is brought to Nigeria.
Making this promise in an exclusive interview with Trustsports, the Kano-born administrator said the effort put into beating Egyptian giants will come to nothing if his team goes to sleep or underrate any opponent, adding that preparations are in top gear to ensure that all their group A opponents fall.
“We are very much prepared for the Group stage of the Championship. No room for complacency at all, because all the clubs that qualified for this stage are potential champions. Underrating anyone of them will spell doom.
“Our ultimate aim from the beginning of the championship is to win the cup; and that has not changed .El Mereikh, Al Hilal and Zesco United of Zimbabwe are good sides, that is why they are now in the group stage and we are preparing to take them one after the other until we get to the final and win the cup for Nigeria,” Galadima said.
Asked whether the players are well motivated to deliver the goods, the former FA boss said the fact that the players are playing in the group stage of the biggest club championship is enough motivation for them to give their best to win the league, saying the stage where they are now are enough motivation for them to do well.
“Is there any greater motivation than playing on a very big platform like the Champions League, which provides players big opportunities to showcase their talents so that scouts across the globe will be able to see them and if possible give them juicy contracts? Winning the CAF champions League will definitely increase the market value of the players. However, that does not mean that our boys are not well motivated,” Galadima maintained.
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