Captain of Enyimba, Okechukwu Odita, is confident that his team-mate, Osas Idehen, has the ability to become the first player to score goals in a single season of the top-flight in the Nigerian league.
“He (Idehen) can score 20 goals because he is a very good player,” Odita said in an interview with Naijaligue.blogspot.com during the week.
Odita heaped praises on the former Akwa United striker for playing a big part in Enyimba’s ongoing season and believes that his form can help the side win a sixth Premier League title.
The Enyimba skipper acknowledged that Idehen does not only score goals but plays for the entire team, and has been involved in a number of assists for the Peoples Elephant this season.
“He is a fantastic player for us and he has been able to make sure we score goals and he has also helped the team in defending and has even assisted in scoring goals. So he has many qualities and I believe that he will be a big player for the future,” said Odita.
Idehen, 19, has scored 10 goals so far this season in 19 appearances for the Peoples Elephant.
The 26-year-old Enyimba captain, who joined from rival, Enugu Rangers in 2006, said his confidence in Idehen’s ability should not be misinterpreted into heaping pressure on the teenager.
He pointed out that the Edo-born striker has almost same similarity in style of play with former Enyimba striker, Stephen Worgu, who now plays for El-Merreikh of Sudan
“I am happy that we have a player like him (Idehen) in our team because on his good day he can make football look so easy. Osas reminds me of Stephen Worgu because somehow the way they play looks almost similar. He is left-footed like Stephen (Worgu) and he runs with the ball all the time. He doesn’t get tired and at times I wonder where he gets strength from,” the former defender of Rangers said of his colleague.
However, Odita reserved some praise for Enyimba head coach, Okey Emordi, who he also praised for his managerial skills.
“My brother we have different types of coaches in football. There are coaches that are simply teachers and they will teach you to the point that you will never forget. But coach Emordi is different. He is a man that cares about the well-being of his players. He knows how to psyche a player to perform and he has created unity in our team that cannot be easily broken and that is why we are doing well this season,” said Odita.
On the title chances of the Peoples Elephant, Odita admitted that it is too early in the season to pre-empt the outcome since other clubs are still in the same race for the league trophy.
The big central defender believes that the other 19 clubs are title rivals to Enyimba.
“We have reached the half way of the season but no one can say they will be champions at the end of the season. It is difficult to predict anything now because every club still has a chance to win something. So we are not underrating anybody at all. We will just play our own game and try to win every match that comes our way,” he said.
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