While the 2015/2016 Nigeria Women Premier League has kick started with interesting results from the opening week, all eyes have been on how Rivers Angels will fight to defend the title they won last season.
It is also expected that their Head Coach, Edwin Okon together with his team will be under intense pressure to achieve that feat considering the pedigree of the team and their qualities.
But Okon, the former Super Falcons' coach has doused that tension saying that neither he, the management, nor his players are under any pressure to win the league again this time as it will be business as usual in terms of their dominance.
While admitting that Rivers Angels would face serious challenges from other contenders like last season's runners-up Bayelsa Queens, Delta Queens, Confluence Queens, Sunshine Queens, and Nasarawa Amazons, Okon noted that he would take every games as they come with the mindset of winning all.
The African Women Championship winning gaffer said the massive exodus of players from the Port Harcourt-based side would not affect their identity as the coaches still remain.
"There's bound to be seeming pressure about how we will approach this season being the defending champions and everyone will keep special eyes on us, but I'm not under any pressure to win the league this season again, same goes to my players and of course, the management, we will only work with our plans, that's to take each games as they come and continue to perform better than our last games.
"I lost more than 10 players last season, that's expected to affect the team, but we've got a better replacement for those that left and so far the technical crew still remain with our style and approach, I want to believe we will still be who we are," Okon said.
The former Falconets' tactician suggested that the NWPL should have been a straight league other than the current abridged league format which he believe would bring about competition and make it attractive to prospective sponsors.
He also called on the Nigeria Football Federation to show more concern and passion towards developing women football in the country.
"I'm not too impressed with the format of the league, at this age we shouldn't be playing abridged league if we truly mean we want to grow the women league, it doesn't help any league to grow, there will be less competition and even the sponsors may not be too attracted to it as such league may not produce the best. I would really want the organizers to look into this and also the NFF should also help us in this game, the women is suffering a lot, it need more encouragement and support, if there's more fund to run it, I'm sure we will all be happy with the end result.
Rivers Angles FC will hope to consolidate on their opening day victory over Martin Whyte Doves when they host Sunshine Queens in Port Harcourt this weekend.
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