Tama Aondofa, Vice Chairman of Makurdi’s Lobi Stars FC, has stated that the team will fire roughly 20 players as part of a significant reorganization before the start of the 2021/2022 Nigeria Premier League season in April.
Lobi Stars FC would return in the second half of the league with a better team and zeal, according to Aondofa, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Sunday.
He also stated that the organization would no longer tolerate some players’ lack of devotion.
“We will go back to the drawing board and look at our players recruitment, we will flush the system and a number of players who have not shown the desired commitment have been identified,” he said.
He said “about 15 to 20 players have been penciled down. They will be let off and equivalent number who are doing well in the league will join almost immediately.
He also said they had a good away match with Rangers International FC, at Awka Township Stadium on Saturday but lost to tactical indiscipline.
Rangers beat the Makurdi side 5-3 in their Week 19 encounter at their new temporary home ground in Awka.
Rangers scored three goals in the first half and another two after the break while Lobi netted all their three goals in the second half.
The Vice Chairman said though they lost the game, it was one of their best matches in recent times.
According to him, “the outcome was not what we expected in terms of the result, like somebody said, we scored the eight goals in the game, we gave Rangers the goals they scored against us, including the penalty.
“The three goals of the first half was virtually donated to our opponents because of tactical indiscipline, there were so many back passes in front of the goal, but in the second half we fought back and scored three goals but we ran out of time.
He also said officiating league games is getting better but the issue of buying of, and betting on games had to be addressed.
“Refereeing is getting better but some things are still wrong. People are still buying games, betting in the matches, it will take a little more time for the League Management Company to clean up the system,” he said.
Lobi Stars finished the first stanza on 19 points from five wins and four draws from 19 matches played.