25th January, 2011
Struggling Nigeria Premier League, (NPL) side, Crown Football Club, have sacked their head coach, Ganiyu Salami, following Sunday’s 0-2 loss to Bukola Babes at the Gateway International Stadium in Ilaro in a Week 13 game.
The Premier League newcomers explained in statement made available to SuperSport.com hours after the 0-2 loss at home that the sack of the former Nigerian U-17 coach was due to poor results in the past weeks.
Salami was, however, not the only one sacked, as the entire technical crew of the team suffered the same ordeal except Oladunni Oyekale, who now takes charge of the side as interim boss.
“Following heavy defeats suffered by the club in recent times, the management of Crown FC has relieved the technical crew of their jobs and appointed coach Oladunni Oyekale to be in charge for now,†the statement from the club read.
Players of the Premier League side were not spared, as their pay had been slashed for poor performance in recent weeks.
“Equally the players’ salary had been temporarily slashed,†part of the statement read.
Crown FC also stated that they could head into the transfer market to sign new players to save the side from demotion.
The club’s overseer, Olanrewaju Oladeji, was said to be angry with the team’s 0-2 defeat at the hands of fellow newcomers, Bukola Babes, after his riot act reading to the players and coaches last week.
Crown FC last won a Premier League game on 19 December, 2010. It was a 1-0 win against Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH Football Club through Gabriel Agu’s goal.
The Ogbomoso club have taken no points in their last five games and are 18th on the log with 10 points from 12 games.
The former Nigeria National League, NNL champions, are also yet to score in their last five games, while they have not picked a point since the start of this year.
Meanwhile, Crown’s duo of goalkeeper, Ayobami Ojo and Tony Edjomeriojwe, have expressed concern over the club’s dwindling fortunes in the elite class.
The club have lost five successive matches to Lobi Stars, Dolphins, Ocean Boys, Zamfara United and Bukola Babes. Perhaps to compound their woes, two of these defeats were in front of their fans.
“I don’t know what’s happening,†Ojo, who is the team’s first choice goalkeeper, said. “We tried our best, but the results have been different,â€