Liverpool Football Club of England’s fans in Ebonyi State are anticipating increased fan base following the club’s clinching of the English Premier League on Thursday night.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Merseyside based club thus ended a 30-year jinx with 86 points with seven games to spare after Chelsea FC beat their (Liverpool) closest rival Manchester City 2-1.
The club, which last won the title in the 1989/1990 season and are the European Champions League defending champions, nearly lost the title following calls for the EPL cancellation as was applied in other leagues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A cross section of Liverpool fans interviewed by a NAN correspondent in Abakaliki on Friday congratulated the team for the victory notwithstanding fans being forced to celebrate it at home and on the social media.
Amos Ogbuehi, a businessman, said more soccer followers were expected to join the club’s fan base in Ebonyi State due to the EPL triumph and the awesome soccer artistry displayed by the team this season.
Ogbuehi said: “We are ‘small in number’ when compared to fans of other established clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.
“This triumph will enhance Liverpool’s popularity in the state and across the globe after the club recorded ‘near-misses’ in preceding seasons in the quest to break the 30 years jinx.”
Chukwuma Ogwa, a civil servant, said he had yet to recover from the ‘hangover’ of celebrations from the triumph, which had ended years of painful wait by the club’s supporters.
Ogwa said: “I give much of the credit to German Coach Jurgen Klopp who arrived Liverpool in October 2015 with a record of two German league (Bundesliga) titles with Borussia Dortmund and champions league silver medal with the same club.
“He introduced the fast-paced, high-pressing, attacking football pattern, which he describes as heavy metal football, and this has already gotten the Champions League title for us.”
Adamma Obah, a youth activist, hailed the impact of two African superstars in the triumph, Mohammed Salah of Egypt and Sadio Mane of Senegal.
Obah said: “These players have been outstanding in Liverpool and their contributions are made more ‘soothing’ with the current ‘Black lives matter’ syndrome across the world.
“Both players are currently Africa’s topmost performers and this shows that the continent is capable of producing ‘world-beaters’ in sports and other spheres of human endeavour.”
Emmanuel Uzor, a Chelsea FC fan and aide to Governor David Umahi, urged Liverpool fans to specially thank Chelsea for easing the path of victory for them by beating mighty Manchester City.
Uzor said: “Chelsea are known to assist clubs on the verge of clinching the title to clinch it as we helped Leicester City FC to win the 2015/2016 EPL title with some games to spare by drawing 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur.
“I pray that another team will reciprocate Chelsea’s gesture next season as we are poised to dethrone Liverpool as league champions.”
NAN.