LWC FC – silent underdogs to title contenders?
The 2019 league season has been an interesting journey for LWC FC so far. The team has managed to haul itself from obscurity to mounting a credible bid for a potential spot in the finals. A glance at the current league table explains why. LWC is currently locked in points with MFC and DC Eagles at 9 points. Also, only one (1) point separates LWC from the league leaders, Invincible Eagles, who are ranked in first place with 10 points.
So, who is LWC FC and what makes this season so remarkable?
LWC was formed in 2009 and started off as a group of male members of RCCG Living Word Church (LWC) who loved soccer. Through the years, attendance had been relatively low and irregular. However, with the vision and stewardship of the team’s leaders (Collins Yango, Onome Opia, Kelvin Osazuwa, Femi Ologbon and Olaleye Olaosebikan), the team has taken on a new identity, and membership has since grown from 10 to approximately 40 players.
The renaissance started with the leadership team’s decision to sign up for the SLN recreational soccer league in 2018. The team ended up losing all 6 games and managed to concede a whopping 24 goals in the process. The current 2019 season appeared to be heading in the same direction with the team losing its first 3 games. Interestingly, they were beginning to garner a reputation as the team where others could earn “bonus“ points. However, the team has managed to shake off this perception by winning 3 consecutive games since the 2nd half of the season – thereby changing the narrative.
“Three important things we want to be known for are (1) Brotherly love (2) We are accommodating to all players (3) We never give up,” said Collins Yango, one of the team leaders.
“With consistent performances from several key players such as (1) Toba Ola, who is a composed Center Back and marshals our defense; (2) Frank Tochukwu, our current top scorer who is great offensively on the wing; and (3) Onome Opia, our playmaker who is technically gifted with reading the game; we have been able to keep our heads down, dig deep and grind out some vital wins”.
The team mantra of never giving up basically helped them seal a dramatic comeback against DC Eagles last weekend from a 1-goal deficit to a 2-1 victory at Stafford Tx. With the recent improvement in form, there is a renewed sense of belief reverberating through team.
LWC still has 2 more games to play (against MFC and Invincible Eagles) before the season ends. These games are “must-wins” as it will be a deciding factor in determining whether or not they will be participants or observers in the finals.