corinthiano

November 2078 Unbelievably we keep winning games and are now sitting at the top with 3 points ahead and two games in hand. Even better, by beating both Kano Pillars and Enyimba Aba at their place we have made it really difficult for them to get back into this race as they continue to be inconsistent. In the Confederation Cup we get a nice 2 goal advantage to take with us to the second leg. Transfers In Out The transfer business has been mostly about replacing squad depth and giving us more options as I dont want to disrupt the balance of the first team. The two loanees will provide cover at the back, whilst Ngunyi at DLP and Kadri at right back replace Sibabi-Guile and Sithole as back-ups respectively. The only player who will fight for a first team place is young defender Etari who could feature for us often at centre back. Next Fixtures We'll try to finish the job in South Africa to get into the Confederation Cup Group Stages before we play our two closest rivals in two games that could give us an even bigger edge in the title race.

October 2078 Amazingly we keep producing results and are still 100% in the NPFL and 2nd with 2 points and 3 games in hand to Adamawa Utd. Enyimba Aba and Kano Pillars continue their poor start to the season which is also great. Transfers Out Peguy lost his starting spot to Ipoua and it made sense to let him go once he started complaining, especially as we still have good cover at AP. Napo has been unhappy for a while as back-up DLP so $500k was great for him. He does leave us short at back-up though so I will try and address it before the end of the transfer window. Next Fixtures This will be an interesting month as we go to the two struggling big clubs, which will be tough regardless of how they are doing so far this season. In the Confederation Cup we have the first leg of a tricky tie against South Africa's Amazulu to get into the Group Stage.

August/September 2078 I knew the initial fixtures were winnable but I am really happy with the performances and a great 100% start in the NPFL. The only draw in the month was as the second string went to DRC Congo with a 3 goal lead in the tie. This all without Abiola who has been injured for almost two months... Transfers Out Louis wasnt happy I brought in Bonsu so off he went before he unsettled the squad. Next Fixtures We have a couple of tougher fixtures this month in the NPFL but hopefully we can keep a good start going. In the Confederation Cup we should be able to see it through against AS-FAN from Niger.

2078/79 Season Preview Our odds have been cut from 33-1 to 20-1, but we are only predicted to finish a place higher. Not a lot of additions to the squad but plenty of young players improving and plenty to be excited about. We have moved into the 6,870 capacity Ifeanyi Ubah Stadium, almost tripling our previous capacity and we have another African campaign to look forward to. The board still just expects us to finish in the Top Half but I want to be a lot closer to the top this season. Transfers In Out Little movement this season as we bring in a few free transfers and invest big on a young left back from Ghana. On the outgoing front we offload a few unhappy squad players and youngsters that didnt make it. Comes in on a free from South Africa and will compete for a starting spot. The big investment, exciting youngster with bags of potential. Assistant XI Fair assessment, it feels like we have a well rounded squad now. Initial Fixtures A decent few fixtures in the NFPL so I hope we can hit the ground running. We also start our Confederation Cup campaign and I am confident we can get post DRC Congo opposition.

2077/78 West African Review CAF Champions League What a performance from West Africa this season with a whopping 10 out 16 teams at this stage, and 6 of them making it into the Quarter-Final. The West African dominance continued with all-regional final and a bit of a surprise as CNEPS Excellence claim their 4th title. CAF Confederation Cup Naturally a lot less teams here with 5 only, but all of them make it into the next stage. It was Nigeria vs Morocco in the Semi Finals, with Nigeria prevailing. In the Final Kojo could not continue the upset and Enyimba Aba win their 3rd title. West African League Rankings Benin is the league making big moves as they go up 8 places and overtake Togo and Guinea along the way. Nigeria edge up to 3rd to make the top 3 leagues in Africa all from West Africa. League Champions One new champion in Guinea and not as many dominating teams winning the title this season. Former Champions MC Breweries: Were in an unplayable league this season but will be back in the second tier next season. Kamboi Eagles: Another decent season as they finish 8th. Nô Pintcha da Brava: Poor in the Liga Brava again as they finish 4th and are knocked out in the Semi Final of the Taça Brava. AFC Nhacra: Drop a bit this season and finish 5th in the league, still going out early in the Cup. Ayéma FC: Fall back into the Relegation Group, but dominate it and finish it in 1st. CNEPS Excellence: Underwhelming in Ligue 1 as they finish 4th, but do win the League Cup and most importantly a 4th Champions League title! Banjul Utd: Almost two relegations in two years as they finish 15th in the second tier and only 5 points off the drop. ASN NIGELEC: Couldnt retain the title but finished a good 3rd and got to the Quarter Final of the Coupe du Niger. In the Champions League they are knocked out in the Preliminary Round by ES Sahel from Tunisia. Unisport: Whipping boys of the Championship Group again with 6 points from 10 games. CFFEB: Finish 5th and are runners-up in the Coupe du Faso. Flamme Olympique: Couldnt make it three in a row and finish 2nd in Ligue 1. Get a tough draw in the Champions League and are knocked out by Kano Pillars in the Preliminary Round. Avenir AC: Slightly better as they finish 4th and get to the Quarter Final of the Coupe du Mali. Cosmos: Second to ASEC Mimosas again. In African football they lose to eventual Champions League champions CNEPS Excellence in the First Round and then to the eventual Confederation Cup champions Enyimba Aba in the Quarter Final.

2077/78 Season Review A combination of too many singings unsettling the squad and fixture congestion due to African competition meant we were not as consistent as last season and hovered around the top part of mid-table most of the season. A decent run towards the end of the season meant we pipped Kano Pillars to 4th place and with Ebedei winning the Fed Cup we secured African football for next season too. In the cups we did brilliantly to get to the Confederation Cup final but were not good enough to beat Enyimba Aba on the day. The money we made from the run was re-invested in both training and youth facility upgrades. In the Fed Cup yet another disappointing performance as we get knocked out way too early by second tier opposition. Squad by Appearances Way too many players used this season. Most unhappy players have or will move on for the next season and I will try to go easy on the signings next season (but cant promise anything ) Best Eleven Charles Bideas was also introduced as back-up keeper in the All-Time Best Xi of the club. Awards Some more recognition this year, Kojo wins manager of the year for the second year in a row, but we have a first time Best Team inclusion for Donald Agbo, whilst Abiola is the third best scorer in the league at just 17. Top Performers Abiola has scored a lot but so has Lorenzo! Amazingly Enyimba Aba have let us have him for another year without paying his wages! Great season again and is developing nicely into an excellent striker. No interest on him yet, lets pray it keeps like this. Donald Agbo may have gotten into the Team of the Season but Mohamed Sou has actually performed better out of the 2 and at 20 is still improving. Finances Decent profit and that is with the facilities investment. The board have given us decent budgets for next season so we can improve the squad if we want. Progress We went backwards a bit, so hoping that we can be more consistent in the NPFL next season.

May/June 2078 Injuries meant that we were just putting out whatever team was fit enough until the second leg of the Confederation Cup against Wydad Casablanca. We managed to do OK until then other than the freak exit in the Federation Cup to Abeokuta Stormers from the second tier. The final of the Confederation Cup was against the strong Enyimba Aba side and we were no match for them. We did bounce back from that defeat however and snyuck into 4th place, which could get us to the Confederation Cup if Ebedei, who are in the Semi Final, win the Federation Cup. Transfers In Out With the transfer window opening before the season ended we sealed some pre-arranged signings. Fabricio Galvis was a mistake as I was excited to get someone from South America in, but he wont be more than a back-up striker. The other two youngsters though will challenge for the first team. On the outgoing front two youngsters that didnt make it are heading out.

April 2078 There was some heavy rotation of the squad as we navigated a packed month. It almost cost us a place in the Confederation Cup Semi-FInals but the second string just about held on to the second leg after the first team won 3-0 in Ghana. In the NPFL mostly good results other than at the end of the month when we ran out of legs with 3 games in 6 days. Next Fixtures We go into May still in 3 competitions and we'll likely prioritize the cups as more than a 5th place in the NPFL will be tough.

This is a great experiment! Love how the Caribbean is dominating CONCACAF!

March 2078 Inconsistent result in the NPFL keep us some distance from the top places, but we put in a great away performance at Raja Casablanca before a mad 7-3 against Gor Mahia sees us qualify in first in our group with a game to go in the Confederation Cup. Next Fixtures The fixtures in the NPFL are a little kinder so hopefully we can be more consistent, but I expect the month to be busy with the Confederation Cup Quarter Finals and Fed Cup coming up.

February 2078 Not a bad month at all, maybe should have gone a bit more aggressive against Raja Casablanca and Enyimba Aba, but avoiding defeat against them is a good result. We are still some way off the Top 3 in the NFPL, but we have put ourselves in a good position in the Confederation Cup. Next Fixtures No easy month again, would like us to get closer to the Quarters in the Confederation Cup and the top 3 in the NFPL.

January 2078 I knew it was a tough month but we should have done better and slide into mid-table yet again... Transfers Out Just another squad player leaving. Next Fixtures We start out Confederation Cup group campaign, which is not going to make it easier to climb up the table again.

December 2077 An outstanding December means we are now right in the middle of the chasing pack behind Enyimba Aba. Players have started to gel and Abiola picked up some form after a poor start to the season and we seem to be getting to the level we were last season now. CAF Confederation Cup I like this draw and chances of finishing second behind Raja Casablanca. Transfers Out Clearing out some of the unhappy squad players. Musa-Bichi is the only one we'll miss a bit, but we still have decent cover up front. Milestones Next Fixtures Some tough away games before the mid-season break.

November 2077 We had a shocker this month and I have to take the blame for it. Too many signings were made in the off season and we have quite a disgruntled squad. Some players are leaving in the next few months and hopefully that helps. On the plus side it looks like Group Stage football is all but guaranteed as we go to Egypt and dismantle Ismaily. Transfers In Out Puleng Ngwenya comes from South Africa as a lot of defenders/right backs will leave in the next couple of months. Mukudy Antony also got a good bid from our former club and as he slipped down the pecking order it was a good deal, especially with him coming back on loan. Next Fixtures Its a packed December and we need to get back on track so we can fight for African football next season.

October 2077 Two outstanding results in the NPFL as we comfortably beat both Enyimba Aba and Kano Pillars at their place! Drawing at home to Heartland F.C. was a downer as we should have won that comfortably but we are in a good spot right now. In the Champions League Sundowns were by far the superior team and deserved to go through. Transfers In Out Left-back was a weak spot in the team and I moved early in the mid-season transfer window to get a good young player in Diallo and a first team option in Priso. I'll only look to make more signings if someone really good pops up in our radar as we have a few unsettled players already in the team and I dont want to disrupt it even further, I may actually look to offload some of those unhappy players. Next Fixtures In the NPFL the game against Katsina Utd will be tough, but I would like to win the rest to keep momentum. And we get another tough draw in Africa as Egyptians Ismaily stand between us and a Confederation Cup Group Stage appearance.

August/September 2077 This was an excellent month considering the fixtures were tricky and we still havent really found our best XI. The points dropped against PLateau Utd were disappointing but at least our rivals are dropping points too. In the Champions League we had a very tight affair against Simba, who deservedly beat us at their place, but were lucky to only concede one in the return leg. In the end we squeeze through on penalties. Next Fixtures A huge and difficult month as we travel to Enyimba Aba and Kano Pillars in the NPFL this month and will do well to get two points from those games. In the Champions League we have a very tough draw against Sundowns, so lets see if we can get into the Group Stage.

2077/78 Season Preview Despite finishing second last season the media sees us finishing in mid-table this season, which is the same expectation as the board has. Our rep has increased to two stars which is nice and I would like to qualify for Africa again, which means top 3 or win the Fed Cup. Transfers In Out A lot of movements as we revamp the team, bringing in players for now and the future. On the outgoing front Lorenzo is the big loss as he made a fuss and I had to accept the bid from Enyimba Aba, but at least we managed to get in a future 50% sale clause and a loan back for this season which will leave us with a year to find a replacement. On the incoming front there are a few players who will come into contention for the first team right away. The veteran comes in on a free after being released by Lobi Stars. Best BPD at the club. Another free signing, this one young and with potential. Will fight for a place next to Agbo at the back. Will compete with Mohamed for that spot, Devon is more experienced an a Zimbabwean international. Another Spaniard picked up from the lower leagues and will be our starting DLP. Great bargain at $2k considering he is now worth up to $425k already! Kouassi is a great versatile player who will primarily fight for the Mezzala spot, but I can see him doing the job in many positions for us. I had higher hopes for Jaffary, but he'll still be a good option in midfield for us. Great young player that will challenge Bassilekin for the AP slot. Best XI Mostly agree with our Assistant, although Agbo would make BPD for me. Other than left-back I am really happy with the strength and depth at the club. Can see a few players getting disgruntled as the season goes on though... Initial Fixtures With the season starting a lot earlier in Nigeria we will actually play the Preliminary Round of the Champions League after we get our NPFL campaign started. Simba is not a straightforward tie but hopefully we can make it through.

2076/77 West African Review CAF Champions League Only slightly better this year with 6 teams in the Group Stage, but this time 5 make it into the Quarter Finals. Another Ghanaian final as Asante Kotoko edge out their rivals on penalties to win their 9th Champions League. CAF Confederation Cup A strong 8 teams at this stage, with representation from even Togo and Benin. 4 teams make it past to the Quarter Finals. We have a West African side of the draw with an unfancied Semi Final and a bit of a shock as Senegal's SONACOS win their first ever Confederation Cup. West African League Rankings Senegal move up into second best of the continent, whilst lower down the Togolese league surpasses Guinea. League Champions A couple of new champions as Eliwidj FC overcome mighty Stade Malien and RSLAF conquer Sierra Leone. In The Gambia Banjul Hawks are now the team with most league wins. Former Champions MC Breweries: Rock bottom and awful in the second tier, so off to an unplayable league they go again. Kamboi Eagles: Another decent season as they finish 7th. Nô Pintcha da Brava: Better in the Liga Brava as they finish second but out of the Taça Brava early on again. AFC Nhacra: 3rd again but so close to the title as they were only two points off the top. Knocked out early in the cup. Ayéma FC: Back into the Championship Group after a couple of years and a decent 8th finish, CNEPS Excellence: Second in Ligue 1 and out in the Group Stage of the Confederation Cup, but at least they win their 10th Coupe du Sénégal. Banjul Utd: Big drop put of nowhere and they finish last in the First Division and are relegated. ASN NIGELEC: Follow up with another great season by winning their third Superligue title! Unisport: Whipping boys of the Championship Group again with 3 points from 10 games. CFFEB: Finish 4th and lose in the last 16 of the Coupe du Faso. Disappointing in Africa as they lose to MangaSport of Gabon in the Second Round of the Confederation Cup. Flamme Olympique: Do really well to retain the title. In Africa they were knocked out in the first round of the Champions League to Primeiro de Agosto from Angola. Avenir AC: Not a great season as they drop back to 5th, and exist early in the Coupe du Mali and Confederation Cup. Cosmos: Strong but ultimately disappointing season. They led the league all the way through only to be pipped by ASEC Mimosas in the last game. Decent campaign in Africa as they make the Group Stages of the Champions League.

Oh yeah he wildly overachieved! I thought he would make a few appearances every game or so but he was so good I couldn’t really drop him. And he could have scored more but was out injured 3 weeks at one point and went to the U-20 AFCON for a month.

2076/77 Season Review A remarkable season as we are nowhere near the relegation zone and take Kano Pillars to the last couple of games to the title. Really impressed with the consistency of the team as we had pretty much no bad runs in the league. Squad by Appearances We rotated quite a bit as we had 18-20 players coming in an out of the first team on a regular basis. I am happy with squad depth and it is just a case of slowly strengthening the side from here on now. Best Eleven Top Performers What can you say about a 16 year old that scored 20 goals in 24 appearances in his first season. Absolutely amazing and I am so excited to see what he does next season. A decent, but not outstanding player. His contributions to the team were priceless though with 16 goals and 14 assists. Our top scorer and another great prospect. Enyimba Aba are sniffing around but he wants to add a really low release clause into a new contract so I may wait a bit to renew his contract. Finances Lost a bit of money this season but any concerns go away if we get to the Group Stages of African competition next season. Progress Great progress and honestly despite our reputation not being among the best in the country I think this is the club we want to conquer Nigeria with.

May 2077 Our season unfortunately ends in a whimper as a red card means we lose in the Last 16 of the Fed Cup in extra time and we lose out in the last game against City F.C. , but still finish an amazing second place with African football guaranteed for next season.

April 2077 Our second strong comfortably navigate the first two rounds of the Fed Cup before we have two very decent home wins with Abiola getting goals again. We then run out of steam and are only able to rescue a late draw at Dakkada. This means that Kano Pillars just need to win 2 out of their last 3 games to clinch the title. Next Fixtures Two winnable games to end our NPFL campaign and a trip to a mid-table second tier side should hopefully mean at least two more Fed Cup games.

March 2077 We did well considering the fixtures we had in no large part to Abiola who scored six goals including the much famed hattrick at Enyimba Aba. We do lose ground to Kano Pillars though who look to be on course to winning the title. We do however look good for second place which by my understanding would get us Champions League football next season. Next Fixtures We finally begin our campaign in the Fed Cup which should be an easy game. In the NPFL we have no easy games this month but at least two of them are at home.

That is what I need to do as soon as he signs a professional contract!

I'd love for him to become a club legend, I just hope I can keep him at the club - if he keeps performing the way he does I can see bigger clubs knocking on our door soon. First game of March, we were 3-0 down at Enyimba Aba and he scored a hattrick to earn us a draw