Kogi United Football Club of Lokoja on Tuesday said it has recruited 20 players to strengthen its team ahead of the 2013/2014 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.
The club’s Head Coach, Fatai Osho, said the players would be joining 10 players the club had retained from the 2012/2013 season.
“We had an open screening which ended early this month and, from that, we were able to get 20 new players to add to the 10 retained from the team of the past season.
“And, since then, we have been trying hard to blend them to our playing pattern and they have been responding well,” he said.
The coach disclosed that the club had played four friendly matches with clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria National League (NNL).
“We played four matches, winning three and drawing one, and we hope to play more.
“But I think by the time we are through with all these, the team should be ready.
“With this, I can state clearly that we will present a formidable team to compete favourably in the NNL when the season starts,” Osho said.
The former Remo Stars FC coach said the club had been well motivated by the Kogi Government to perform well in the 2013/2014 league competition when it starts next month.
“The Kogi government decided to restructure the team and part of the restructuring is my appointment as the head coach.
“The challenge before me and the objective of the management is to take the team to the elite league, which is the NPFL.
“And since the players are the major actors in the club, the state government has improved their welfare package in terms of finance and other things.
“We have also moved to a new camp and the environment there is conducive, such that it can guarantee our success when the season starts.
“So, right now, we have no other option than to perform well and I am sure that, at the end of the season, we will be promoted to the NPFL,” Osho said.
He said the need to get good results necessitated the appointment of a sole administrator, Abdul Adama, to oversee the affairs of the club and the women’s club, Kogi Confluence Queens.
Osho, who said the purpose was to ensure that both clubs were well managed, promised Nigerians that the club would be a team to watch when the league starts.
“We have everything working well for us, in terms of preparations for the new season.
“So, Nigerians should expect a team that will do well in terms of playing and winning to the excitement of the fans,” Osho said.
Kogi United FC was one of the clubs promoted to the NNL after the 2012/2013 Nigeria Nation-Wide League (NNWL) season.
The NNL board chairman, Emeka Inyama, had recently said the 2013/2014 season would kick off on Dec. 6.
Source: Vanguard.
