Ayinde anticipates Abia Warriors, El Kanemi Warriors clash

Abia Warriors’ Kabiru Ayinde is excited with the prospect of facing El Kanemi Warriors at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Friday evening.

The Warriors past pre-season encounters have come against lower league sides and academies, and the striker sees the clash against Imama Amapakabo-tutored side as their first real test.

“We have not really been tested to the best of our ability. I see the game with El Kanemi Warriors as ideal for our preparations for the season. We have played some friendly games but I don’t see them as the measurement to see how far we have gone. In the test matches we played against them we were the favourites and they came to prove a point,” Ayinde told Goal.

“But the game with El Kanemi Warriors will see two teams of equal proportion playing against each other. They are a good side and we are also trying to be up to date with our own preparations too.

“We didn’t train in the morning [Friday] because of the friendly match and our coach has instructed us to express ourselves ideally. He told us that it shouldn’t be do or die affair but that we must try to be as professional as possible.”

The former Plateau United and Kwara United striker thumbed up Abia Warriors’ new coach, Everton and has tipped the team to do well in the upcoming season.

“The training sessions of our new coach are worth commending and his attitude to work too is second to none. He makes us express ourselves and also tells us to be very serious with our preparations.

“We hope that at the end of our pre-season activities we will be able to say that we have had the best of pre-season programmes. Abia Warriors will be among the teams to beat next season.”