The Sun News On-line

The 2008 FA Cup final will be a special occasion for the two coaches, who will lead the finalists to the new-look Aper Aku Stadium this weekend. Evans Ogenyi and Justin Tenger, the two coaches for the final, hail from Benue State and have at different times worked together at Lobi Stars. They were also sacked under controversial circumstances before they got employment with their present clubs and as such, they would want to prove those that relieved them of their duties wrong with scintillating performances when their clubs file out to determine who will drink champagne with the 2008 FA Cup.

Ogenyi, chief coach of Ocean Boys FC, is in high spirit, desperate to file out with his team to face Tenger’s Gombe United.
According to the coach, who is still bitter with the treatment meted out to him by the Lobi Stars’ management last year: "This is the moment I have been waiting for. I had wanted Lobi Stars to qualify for the final of this competition alongside my team so that I could revenge the humiliation I suffered in their hands.

"Be that as it may, I will not treat this FA Cup final with kids’ gloves, because Coach Tenger is a good tactician, who suffered the same fate with me in the hands of the Lobi management.
"As you can see, both of us have certain things in common, so I foresee an explosive encounter. The match would be won from the bench, because both teams would be conscious of avoiding costly mistakes.

Ogenyi continued: "For the records, I was sacked for no just cause last year when the management of Lobi brought in Solomon Ogbeide as their technical adviser. I even asked them to allow me to assist Ogbeide because I respect his wealth of experience as a coach, but they bluntly refused and asked me to look elsewhere. I was lucky to have secured job at Ocean Boys of Yenagoa when their former coach absconded.

"The league match between Lobi Stars and Ocean Boys in Makurdi some weeks after I took charge at Ocean Boys was explosive. We scored first before Lobi equalise barely two minutes into the added time when my defence lacked a bit of concentration. When we played Lobi in Yenagoa few weeks to the end of last season, we outclassed them in every department and crowned our efforts with two unreplied goals.

"Though I have proved a point with Ocean Boys against Lobi, I have yet to survive the technical know-how of Tenger and his boys in Gombe.
"When we travelled to Gombe for a league match, we lost scandalously to them, but I believe that this opportunity is a pay back time for us.

"No one gave us any chance against Enyimba when we played in Owerri last weekend, but we turned the table against the bookmakers. And now, my players are more hungry for the trophy at stake than our opponents, and we are now better equipped to excel by the Bayelsa State government."
On his part, Tenger said that he’s aware of Coach Ogenyi’s weaknesses and would capitalise on them to punish Ocean Boys.

According to him, Ogenyi has proved his critics wrong by coming this far, but he advised him to settle for the second place in this encounter.
Hear him: "I am happy for Ogenyi. He has really made some of us who were disgraced out of Lobi State proud. He took Ocean Boys to finish outside the danger zone last season and brazed all odds to reach the final of the prestigeous FA Cup, however, he has reached his last bus stop.
"I know his weaknesses and strong points. I am going to brush aside his strong points and capitalise on his weaknesses this weekend to make sure the FA Cup gets back to Gombe.
"We need to return to continental football after a tortuous experience last season. We now have the experience to confront continental opponents and I believe that Gombe State government has also learnt the politics of continental football.

"Be that as it may, I want to say that wherever the pendulum swings this weekend, the better side will represent Nigeria well at the continental level. The interest of the nation must be placed above any personal feelings because our football cannot continue to suffer ridicules on the continent."
Speaking earlier, the manager of both coaches and an indigene of Benue State, Mike Idoko, expressed happiness for seeing his kinsmen qualify teams from other geographical zones for the FA Cup final. He said it does not matter to him where the trophy eventually goes, because if it gets to Yenagoa or Gombe, he would still join the party to celebrate.

"I am happy that the once rejected stones are now the pillars that hold the building," Idoko stated rhetorically. "The two coaches are my men and I wish them the best as they file out for the 2008 FA Cup Final.
"For me, let the better side carry the day. Whether it is Ocean Boys that win the trophy or Gombe United, I will join the party to celebrate because both coaches still owe me a lot."