Akwa United have contracted the services of former Brazilian coach, Rafael Everton, for the upcoming 2018/19 season.
AKWA UTD SIGNS BRAZILIAN COACH
Nigeria Professional Football League side Akwa United have secured the services of a Brazilian Rafael Everton as their new Head Coach for the new NPFL season.
Coach Everton who… https://t.co/xi00HESeJM
— Akwa United FC (@AkwaUnited_fc) November 5, 2018
Everton, who also coached Abia Warriors FC and FC IfeanyiUbah, replaced Abdul Maikaba who was unveiled by 2017 NPFL champions Plateau United a month ago.
Akwa United chairman, Paul Bassey, said in Uyo on Monday during the unveiling of Everton that he fitted into the plans and vision the management has for the team.
Bassey noted that besides Everton, other coaches were also interviewed. He added that the club needed a coach that would not be distracted by national team duty.
“We needed a foreign coach with a lot of Nigerian experience; we also eliminated some coaches in Nigeria for certain reasons before we settled for Everton,” he said.
He praised the former coach Maikaba for the excellent job he did by introducing a new playing philosophy and making the team a brand within his two years stay with the Promise Keepers.
He urged stakeholders to support the new coach and commended the media for the role they have played in making the team better even as he said that the fan base of the club has increased in recent times.
Everton promised to continue with the ‘Tiki-Taka’ brand of football he inherited in the club saying he would fully utilise the present crop of players in the club before deciding on whether there could be new additions.
He asked for the support and cooperation of stakeholders, particularly the fans in attaining the dreams of the owners of the club.
Akwa United finished second in the 2017/2018 NPFL season which was concluded prematurely due to the crisis in the Nigerian Football Federation.
