From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
The Simon Terver Ikya-led management team of Lobi Stars on Wednesday unveiled two new players as the team prepare for the second stanza of the Nigeria National League, NNL.
The team’s management also promised that the team will soon play its home matches at the McCarthy stadium in Makurdi.
The players signed are Jonathan John Abu, a winger who played for Coventry City Academy in England and returned home recently as a free agent and Bello Raji Ejigogo, a defensive midfielder from Niger Tornadoes. The players signed a one year contract.
Both players expressed their eagerness, commitment and dedication to the team management, the technical crew, exuding confidence that they have what it takes to return Lob Stars to the elite division of Nigeria Professional Football League,NPFL.
Speaking to Sportswriters in his maiden briefing, Chairman of the club Simon Terver Ikya lamented over the poor performance of the team in the first Stanza of the league, explaining that it was for this reason, the technical adviser Coach Abubakar Bala Mohammed was suspended indefinitely for only managing to garner 7 points best of 18 after 6 games and the team was placed 6th position out of 8 clubs.
He said, “We had a very rough first round and since we are looking for promotion, we thought it wise to add extra players to the team. Aside these two(2)players, we have at least three to four more to bring to the team.
“We are building a team that would stand the rest of time and take us back to the premier league.
“The players are well taken care of, in fact they travel two (2) days to the match. All their entitlements including salaries and match bonuses are paid to them as when due. The Governor is doing everything in the area of funding to ensure that the team return to the premier league.
“The management was set up just few weeks to the commencement of the new season and so, we inherited the team from the immediate past management. We are restructuring the team for better productivity.
“We are not going to sign a new coach. The present coach John Onuh, a former captain of the team will lead it to the end of the season. We have decided to build the team around former players, the team manager Finbar, former captain and goalkeeper, coach Benedict Atule, ex captain and Emma Abah, ex skipper and goalkeeper who is now, the goalkeeper trainer.
“We have decided to give the home based coaches a chance to prove themselves and we will give them all the necessary support to succeed. I also appeal to all Benue people to support the management to do well.
“We want to leave a lasting legacy that any other management after us cannot change but rather build on. I urge our supporters to engage in constructive criticisms that would help the team succeed”.
