Coach of reigning Nigeria women Premier basketball league side First Bank women basketball club Lateef Erinfolami has expressed confidence ahead of his side’s fierce semi final tie against high flying Savannah Conference side Air warriors.
First Bank Women’s Basketball Club new Head Coach, Lateef Erinfolami says he wants to build a new team with young talented players as the core.
Erinfolami, who replaced 2018 championship winner Peter Ahmedu at the end of the season, explained that it is expedient to start building for the future.
Speaking with brila.net the Coach maintains he doesn’t intend making wholesome changes to the roster, hinting he will retain the senior players from the previous championship winning seasons, but he’ll focus on a young core that can go on to win more laurels.
Elephants Girls head Coach Lateef Erinfolami says establishing mutual respect and eliminating the unusual paranoia between Players and Coaches is the most important task he has to undertake with the Nigeria women’s Basketball champions.
2019 is expected to be the year of resurgence for First Bank Basketball Club Center, Oluwatobi Ogedengbe, but with the change in coaches by the front office, the player gave brila.net her thoughts on whether that has also affected her ambitions.
Last season Tobi was restricted to a handful of minutes in the biggest games of the playoff, including a bench role for the entire final.
Early in the year, the 2018 Champion told brila.net she was determined to get switch up her game and work even harder with now erstwhile Coaches Peter Ahmedu and Chris Okoh.
With the appointment of Lateef Erinfolami we returned to the Center to find out what her desires are now that the best post player in the team, Nkem Akaraiwe, is no longer with the team and the pecking order slight altered.
She said,’Yeah, I’m enjoying the vibe and the atmosphere in the team. Practice and everything has been going according to plan.
‘In truth, I still have that strong conviction or expectation that things will be better this season for sure.’
Nigeria Basketball champions First Bank “expects a lot” from newly appointed Head Coach Lateef Erinfolami as the team hopes to continue its dominance in the Country and go even a step further on the continent.
Newly appointed First Bank Basketball Club Head Coach Lateef Erinfolami is dreaming big with the champions after he took charge of his first practice session with the team.
The former Kwara Falcons coach returned to women’s basketball where he enjoyed a successful spell but says his current role offers a bigger platform to himself and players.
‘They are a team I’ve always wanted to work with because they have the resources; they’re a champion team and they offer a platform beyond the local scene.
‘I work hard; if anything espouses 100 percent, I am in that category and I’d love the opportunity to show I have the ability I can do well on the continent and world levels with this platform.
Nigeria Women’s Basketball League champions First Bank have parted ways with Peter Ahmedu and Chris Okoh ahead of the 2019 season.
The nine-time league champions won their latest installment last season with Ahmedu, who also served led the team to a bronze medal spot at the FIBA Africa Women’s Champions Club.
Meanwhile, the Club’s management have appointed former Deep Waters Coach Lateef Erinfolami. He took charge of the team’s practice session on Wednesday at the Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.