Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi on Monday unveiled Bala Abubakar as the new Technical Adviser (TA) of the team. Performing the ceremony at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Creativity, the Chairman of the Board of Lobi Stars FC and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Philip Nongu, said, “We have engaged the services of a Technical Adviser, Bala Abubakar, who was one of the experienced coaches of Lobi that assembled the players which Coach Eugene Agagbe took over and won the 3rd edition of the Gusau/Ahlan Preseason Tournament with.”
Dr Nongu expressed confidence in the ability of the TA and his assurance that he would return the Makurdi-based side to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), disclosing that “before his engagement, I asked him if he would be ready to take up the job considering the fact that Lobi will be playing in the Nigeria National League (NNL), but he said he will be comfortable and would want to create history by returning the team to the NPFL.”
He said Lobi Stars FC was in the building process, and engaging the services of an experienced Technical Adviser was one of the processes.
In his speech, the TA, who was full of praise for the Dr Nongu-led board of Lobi Stars FC for finding him worthy of the appointment, noted that the NNL was a difficult terrain but since he had tutored teams in that league, including Niger Tornadoes of Minna, and returned them to the NPFL, he assured of returning Lobi to the apex league.
“It is my belief that this task is achievable, and with the mandate and support promised me by the board and management of the club, Lobi will go back and play in the NPFL,” he said.
“I am going to assemble a formidable team as I did for the club before I left, and this is going to be based on quality. We are going to search for quality players, prepare them very well, and at the end of the season, we will celebrate the victory of Lobi’s return to the NPFL in a grand style.”
He thanked the board members of Lobi for the confidence they had in him, maintaining that “I am happy to be unveiled today as the Technical Adviser of Lobi. This is my second coming after my unexpected exit, but I believe that this time around will be a different ball game as the team is now playing in the NNL.”
