Coach of good hope

Panaji: Two months ago in Bangladesh, Joseph Afusi was the toast of the football nation, having guided Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to a rare league and Cup double, besides fighting his way to the final of the IFA Shield in Kolkata, which they almost won as well.
During his three years in Bangladesh, first as player and then chief coach, he won almost everything on offer.But early on Wednesday morning, as he waited for the team Churchill Brothers team bus to arrive at the Chowgule ground in Margao for almost 25 minutes, it was hard to know what was going on in his mind.
Surely, he was excited to be in India which has a better and much-richer football competition. But is the Second Division I-League, Indian football’s second-tier club competition, a progression for a coach with ambitions of coaching in Europe or a step backward?
“When I signed a contract with Churchill Brothers in June, they were in the I-League but now circumstances have forced them into the second division. That’s life and we have to accept it, but I do not want to let Churchill Alemao down. He showed faith in me and I will repay him for his faith in my abilities,” said the Nigerian coach.
Afusi is among the rare signing at Churchill Brothers who is staying at the club on his own free will, rather than compulsion. Having been relegated to the second division I-League for their failure to fulfil the stringent Club Licensing criteria, Churchill find themselves in the dock as almost all of their top players have switched allegiance like rats abandoning a sinking ship.
The result is not pleasing to the eye and it’s amazing that in the face of such a crisis, Afusi is keeping strong hope. Not for long, though, as the first drill within the first ten minutes of a training session exposes the immaturity within the side. It’s a simple drill of receiving the ball, releasing it and running into positions, all essentials in a team game like football. But most players fumble, unable to get it right despite several repeats.
Truth to tell, that’s understandable. Churchill, for now, does not have a single senior player in its ranks and the most prominent names at the club from last season’s squad are all juniors like Ashley Fernandes, Alesh Sawant, Richard Costa, Elvis, Joshua Rebello and goalkeeper Bilal.
“This team is raw but responding positively. The players have quality but lack basic information which I hope to get right in the next couple of months,” said the Nigerian coach who has had playing stints in England, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and Cyprus.
The challenge at Churchill, Afusi admits, is a huge one.
“This is a challenging situation and I want to give this my best shot,” he said.
He will, of course, be helped by the arrival of Nigerian striker Odafa Okolie, while Trinidad and Tobago World Cupper Anthony Wolfe may be asked to look at other available options. Odafa’s proven scoring record, especially against the comparatively weaker sides in Second Division, is an added advantage, but for now, it’s the coach who remains Churchill’s greatest hope.