Bosso rejects El-Kanemi Stadium ‘Slaughter ground’ tag

By Taofeek Babalola

El-Kanemi Warriors technical adviser, Ladan Bosso has bemoaned what he called superfluous nickname given to their home ground El-Kanemi Stadium in Maiduguri. 
The Borno Army have been maintaining their home unbeaten run for years and many football followers are of the view that it is difficult for away teams to get a win at the stadium which made them to refer to the stadium as the Slaughter ground’ based on the results coming out of the stadium after the end of each match.

But the former Bayelsa United coach believes that his counter-parts are the causes of the results they are getting in Maiduguri, stressing that coaches had already discouraged their players before the game.

“When I was at Niger Tornadoes I played 1-1 against El Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri, also I guided Wikki Tourists to El Kanemi Stadium to play 0-0 while Bayelsa United got 2-2 against El Kanemi when I was their coach too. I think the issue is about mindset; the coaches have already polluted the mind of their players before the game. I don’t see any difficulty in it, if you play well you get good results

“We have played two home matches this season and they should ask those teams if they were robbed and they should stop giving flimsies excuses. It takes wisdom, characters and strategist for you to go to away ground and get points there. I have players for home and away matches. The statement Slaughter ground’ is not only ugly but awkward to hearing," Bosso said to SportingLife.

He added: “I took 16 players to Enugu for Rangers’ game and last year and I went to Lagos with 15 players for Ikorodu United’s game. Also, last season, I went to Ibadan with 15 players for 3SC’s game and when we got there LMC told us that all Giwa FC players should not played that day and we were left with only 14 players because Isiaka Olawale who was with us was from Giwa FC. At the end of the day we got draw in the match. So they should erase that notion in their mind and play their game.”