Dogged Dolphin make big splash
Dolphin celebrate third NPL title
Why Dolphin are top
Doggedness especially on the road has given Dolphin
of Port Harcourt their third Nigeria Premier League title.
In a league where teams win at home at all costs, Dolphin managed five wins away from home including a decisive 1-0 victory at Bukola Babes on the final day of this past season.
“Some thought Bukola were pushovers but we met a very strong team who could have scuttled our chances of winning the trophy. But we were prepared and dogged,” says Dolphin coach Stanley Eguma.
Continuity, a solid defence, big squad and focus combined to crown Port Harcourt’s other team kings of Nigerian football again.
Kano Pillars helped the cause of the team from ‘The Garden City’ by beating their closest rivals Sunshine Stars as the 2010/2011 ended in an exciting photo finish.
Dolphin recorded 73 points, two more than Sunshine Stars, for their third league championship having also won it in 1997 as Eagle Cement and then in 2004.
“It was a race that was on for a very long time and we knew that we needed the best to succeed,” Eguma tells MTNFootball.com
“Until the last day, nobody knew who would win the trophy because of the quality of Sunshine. They are one of the best teams in the country and if they continue like they did this season, they may end up as champions next season.”
Sunshine should have been runaway winners before the final day of the season after they dealt a big blow to Dolphin’s aspirations with a 3-2 win in Ijebu-Ode, only for the Akure club to be held to a 2-2 draw at struggling Ocean Boys after they had gone 2-0 up by half time in the penultimate game of the season.
Sunshine coach Gbenga Ogunbote, whose team led the league for most of the campaign, is already looking ahead to next season after his team were beaten at the post.
The coach, who incidentally once called the shots at Dolphin, would prefer to concentrate on the team’s preparations for next season’s CAF Champions League, rather than mourn their botched title bid.
“It’s painful because we got so close to winning the league but we lost it on the final day of the season. We gave our best which was not good enough. There is nothing we can do about that but to look ahead now,” says Ogunbote.
“We have a bigger challenge next season and that is playing in the CAF Champions League. We’ve got to the semi-final of the CAF Confederation Cup, so the pressure is on us to beat our performance in Africa, which is not going to be easy.
“We need to build a solid team, which the management is aware of. Actually, we have quality players but we need to bring in more players to improve the squad.”
However, the coach is unhappy with how the past season dragged on for 12 months.
“It’s quite unfortunate that the league was unnecessarily prolonged. But that is belated now and I have congratulated the champions Dolphin. We live to fight another day,” Ogunbote adds.
Eguma agrees with Ogunbote that league campaign dragged on for too long and this was not good for the local game.
Eguma says, “The Nigeria Premier League shouldn’t have allowed it to happen in the first place because it was counterproductive to the players, the teams and even the fans. There is no time to rest because some clubs still have some competitions to participate in before the new season starts immediately. It has not helped our football.”
Dolphin reached the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2005 and crashed out in the group stage and second round of the competition in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
They also reached the CAF Champions League group and second round stages in 1998 and 2005.
Eguma, an assistant coach when Enyimba were crowned African champions in 2004, is now brimming with confidence as Dolphin aim for international glory in the coming year.
He says the Nigerian champions have begun preparations ahead of battling the continent’s finest clubs.
“I won the African title with Enyimba as assistant coach, but if you don’t prepare well for a big competition like the Champions League, then you have started preparing for your downfall,” he tells MTNFootball.com
“So, to avoid that, we have started preparing by listing the new players we wish to recruit. We have tabled our proposal to the management and we are doing our best to get the best players to represent Nigeria in Africa.”
In a league where teams win at home at all costs, Dolphin managed five wins away from home including a decisive 1-0 victory at Bukola Babes on the final day of this past season.
“Some thought Bukola were pushovers but we met a very strong team who could have scuttled our chances of winning the trophy. But we were prepared and dogged,” says Dolphin coach Stanley Eguma.
Continuity, a solid defence, big squad and focus combined to crown Port Harcourt’s other team kings of Nigerian football again.
Kano Pillars helped the cause of the team from ‘The Garden City’ by beating their closest rivals Sunshine Stars as the 2010/2011 ended in an exciting photo finish.
Dolphin recorded 73 points, two more than Sunshine Stars, for their third league championship having also won it in 1997 as Eagle Cement and then in 2004.
“It was a race that was on for a very long time and we knew that we needed the best to succeed,” Eguma tells MTNFootball.com
“Until the last day, nobody knew who would win the trophy because of the quality of Sunshine. They are one of the best teams in the country and if they continue like they did this season, they may end up as champions next season.”
Sunshine should have been runaway winners before the final day of the season after they dealt a big blow to Dolphin’s aspirations with a 3-2 win in Ijebu-Ode, only for the Akure club to be held to a 2-2 draw at struggling Ocean Boys after they had gone 2-0 up by half time in the penultimate game of the season.
Sunshine coach Gbenga Ogunbote, whose team led the league for most of the campaign, is already looking ahead to next season after his team were beaten at the post.
The coach, who incidentally once called the shots at Dolphin, would prefer to concentrate on the team’s preparations for next season’s CAF Champions League, rather than mourn their botched title bid.
“It’s painful because we got so close to winning the league but we lost it on the final day of the season. We gave our best which was not good enough. There is nothing we can do about that but to look ahead now,” says Ogunbote.
“We have a bigger challenge next season and that is playing in the CAF Champions League. We’ve got to the semi-final of the CAF Confederation Cup, so the pressure is on us to beat our performance in Africa, which is not going to be easy.
“We need to build a solid team, which the management is aware of. Actually, we have quality players but we need to bring in more players to improve the squad.”
However, the coach is unhappy with how the past season dragged on for 12 months.
“It’s quite unfortunate that the league was unnecessarily prolonged. But that is belated now and I have congratulated the champions Dolphin. We live to fight another day,” Ogunbote adds.
Eguma agrees with Ogunbote that league campaign dragged on for too long and this was not good for the local game.
Eguma says, “The Nigeria Premier League shouldn’t have allowed it to happen in the first place because it was counterproductive to the players, the teams and even the fans. There is no time to rest because some clubs still have some competitions to participate in before the new season starts immediately. It has not helped our football.”
Dolphin reached the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2005 and crashed out in the group stage and second round of the competition in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
They also reached the CAF Champions League group and second round stages in 1998 and 2005.
Eguma, an assistant coach when Enyimba were crowned African champions in 2004, is now brimming with confidence as Dolphin aim for international glory in the coming year.
He says the Nigerian champions have begun preparations ahead of battling the continent’s finest clubs.
“I won the African title with Enyimba as assistant coach, but if you don’t prepare well for a big competition like the Champions League, then you have started preparing for your downfall,” he tells MTNFootball.com
“So, to avoid that, we have started preparing by listing the new players we wish to recruit. We have tabled our proposal to the management and we are doing our best to get the best players to represent Nigeria in Africa.”
Now don't go on relegation next season .
Congrats guys. Do not let us down at the champions league and same goes for sunshine fc.
I see the nigerian league improving tremendously come january.
Congrats guys. Do not let us down at the champions league and same goes for sunshine fc.
I see the nigerian league improving tremendously come january.
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