The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FC Taraba

  • FC Taraba go for experienced players

    FC Taraba go for experienced players

    FC Taraba coach, Ndubuisi Nduka, has signed up several experienced players to help keep the newly promoted club in the top flight in the new season.

    “FC Taraba are a youthful team with most players yet to taste action in the Premier League and so we have brought in some experienced players,” Nduka disclosed

    “I am doing my best to raise a formidable team that won’t be a pushover. We will challenge and compete when the season starts.”

    Some of the experienced players at Taraba now include goalkeepers Ibrahim Pius and Emmanuel Fabiyi from Enugu Rangers and Bayelsa United respectively.

    Nduka has handled Plateau United, Mbaise Lions and Heartland FC.

  • Benin goalkeeper relishing FC Taraba challenge

    Republic of Benin goalkeeper, Olaniyi Fabiyi, is delighted to have a chance to play for newly-promoted, FC Taraba.

    Supersport.com learnt that another newly-promoted side, Abia Warriors, also wanted the Benin international.

    “I’m looking forward to a pleasant time at FC Taraba when I arrive on Thursday. It’s a fresh challenge and I’m ready to achieve success with the club. My international experience will be useful to the club and I’m confident Taraba will challenge the old order,” Fabiyi said to supersport.com.

    Fabiyi believes it is a chance for him to return to duty with the Squirrels. The experienced Fabiyi has played top flight football with Gateway FC, Niger Tornadoes, Enyimba and Bayelsa United.

    However, he went down with Bayelsa United and helped the club back to the top flight only to lose his position.

  • Enyimba turns to De Kruif

    Enyimba turns to De Kruif

    Six-time Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) winners, Enyimba, are considering their coaching options with Dutchman, Lodewijk de Kruif, top of their wishlist.

    The top hierarchy at Enyimba believe the Dutchman fits the bill for the head coach job. Enyimba head coach in the 2012/13 season, Salisu Yusuf, is close to joining either FC Taraba or El-Kanemi Warriors and his assistant, Paul Aigbogun has switched to Warri Wolves.

    “Right now Enyimba are looking at several options for a coaching replacement. Two of our coaches, Paul Aigbogun and Salisu Yusuf, are at present not with us. We’ve only heard they’ve joined other clubs though we cannot confirm officially. At the moment, one of the coaches we are looking at is Lodewijk de Kruif.

    “Nothing has been concluded but we are considering him because he has shown great understanding of the Nigerian and African game as coach of one of our rival clubs (Heartland) where he was their coach,” an official of Enyimba told supersport.com.

    The People’s Elephant are said to be putting pressure on either Aigbogun or Yusuf to stay as head coach as they prepare for the 2014 CAF Champions League. However, the two-time CAF Champions League winners will have a lot of work to do in convincing de Kruif to dump his current job as manager of the Bangladeshi national team.

    At present, Imama Amapakabo is the most high-placed in the coaching ranks at Enyimba and has been in charge of the first-team in the absence of Aigbogun and Yusuf.

  • Babangida: FC Taraba will stay up

    Babangida: FC Taraba will stay up

    Chairman of newly promoted FC Taraba, Tijjani Babangida has told MTNFootball.com his club will keep their place in the Nigeria top flight.

    FC Taraba will be making their debut in the premier league in the coming season after they finished behind Giwa FC of Jos in one of the sections of the Nigeria National League (NNL) last term.

    “Our first-ever season in the premier league will really be one for us to consolidate our place among the big boys after which we could start talking about competing with them. We went through a lot in the NNL and we believe part of that experience will prove useful in the top league,” Babangida told MTNFootball.com.

    Babangida said his team are invincible at home, but will have to improve on their form away from their home ground in Jalingo.

    “We have not lost in two straight seasons in Jalingo, where we are capable of beating even Brazil. But we must change our mentality when we play away from home. That will be very crucial to our survival,” he said.

    He disclosed that plans are underway for the team’s home ground to have a synthetic pitch.

    “I have asked for a synthetic pitch for the wonderful multi-sports stadium we have. Once we can have this, we will have one of the best arenas in Nigeria,” he said.

  • Clubs scramble for Enyimba coach Yusuf

    Several top clubs including El Kanemi and newly promoted FC Taraba are hot on the chase of Enyimba coach Salisu Yusuf.

    He has also remained a long-term target of Sunshine Stars, who have not renewed the contract of coach Fatai Amoo.

    Yusuf featured for El Kanemi as a player and has impressed this past season by leading Enyimba to win the Federation Cup and finish as runners-up in the league.

    FC Taraba have therefore moved to have Yusuf back as coach after he handled them two seasons ago.

    “We’re interested in Yusuf again. He has proved himself at Enyimba and we are willing to open discussions for his return,” a top official informed MTNFootball.com.

    He was on a sign-on fee of eight million Naira and a monthly salary of 500,000 Naira in his first spell with the ambitious FC Taraba.

    It is now believed that the former Kano Pillars handler will most likely go to the highest bidder especially as Enyimba struggled financially this past season.