The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LOBI STARS

  • Lobi decamp five players

    Lobi decamp five players

    • Add two from Jos tour

    Lobi Stars have decamped five of their players currently training with the team and have added two which they spotted from their tour of Jos last week.

    The Makurdi Bombers played two games against Plateau United and Mighty Jets on Saturday and Sunday last week and they lost one(1-3) and won the other (1-0) in ties they played at the Rwang Pam Stadium.

    Lobi’s head coach, Evans Ogenyi told SportingLife that they had to allow those that failed to measure up to go after over two weeks of rigorous training exercises to give room for those that would fit into the tactics of the team with barely a month to the commencement of the 2013/2014 league season.

    Ogenyi said he was happy that they were able to fish out two new players they hope to see how good they are during training sessions as they wind up their preparation for the start of the premier league season.

    He also confided in SportingLife that the club have perfected steps to sign quality experienced players to ward off what happened to the team last season in which they struggled due to an inexperienced squad at some stages of the season before surviving the drop. Lobi eventually ended the season in 14th spot with 52 points from 38 matches just two points away from the relegation zone.

    The club got to the semi-final of the 2013 Federation Cup before their loss to Enyimba at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City. They had played in the final a year earlier in the same competition but were stopped due to a stoppage time goal by Heartland of Owerri.

     

  • Lobi Stars hold on to Imenger

    GLO Premier League side, Lobi Stars, have continued to build up for the coming season, by concluding arguably their biggest deal of the season.

    The Benue side have secured the services of Nigeria international, Nanen Imenger, for another season, after the striker extended his stay at the team called ‘The Pride of Benue’.

    Imenger was the top scorer for the side last season.

    In other Lobi Stars team news, on-loan star, Lekan Agunloye has left the team for Bayelsa United.

  • Lobi Stars resume today

    Lobi Stars resume today

    Players and technical crew of Lobi Stars are expected to report to the team’s camp in Makurdi today in preparation for the 2013/2014 season.

    The Team Coordinator, Ganiyu Adeleke told Sportinglife that the players will have their first training today after a three-week break.

    “The club will officially resume today in expectation for the new season. The players have started coming in one after the other since Sunday. We have big plans for the season and we want our players to be in good shape before the league kicks off,” Adeleke said.

    SportingLife also gathered that the club’s vice chairman, Dominic Iorfa is in China to make new jerseys for the team.

    Iorfa is expected to return to the country this week.

    “We want to be branded with quality jerseys when the league resumes. We are known for the best and we will give out the best,” Iorfa told SportingLife before he travelled.

     

  • Lobi resume training for Warri Wolves

    Lobi resume training for Warri Wolves

    • Beat Amateur club in practice match

    Lobi Stars’ players and officials will resume after a three day break today ahead of their Wednesday’s Matchday 32 Glo Premier League tie.

    The Makurdi Bombers pummelled Nembe City 3-0 last Wednesday to move to 15th on the log with 41 points and the players and officials were granted some days rest to allow them recover from bruises, knocks and to recharge their batteries for the remainder of the league season.

    Before embarking on the break, the 2013 Federation Cup semi finalists defeated an amateur side, Young Professional 1-0 in a practice match meant to fine-tune and maintain their turbo charged form before confronting Warri Wolves on Wednesday.

    Club Supremo, Dominic Iorfa highlighted the importance of the break on the players and officials:”we have given them the break to help them recoup lost energy after going through congested fixtures in both the Federation Cup where we lost in the semi final to Enyimba under a very cloudy circumstances. We have also been playing league games ever since.

    “I expect them to come back on Monday(today) really refreshed and raring to go,” Iorfa said.

  • Lobi Stars dim Sunshine

    Lobi Stars dim Sunshine

    Lobi Stars were able to manage a slim 1-0 victory over Sunshine Stars in a week 25 fixture of the Glo Nigerian Premier League played on Wednesday August 14, 2013.

    Lobi goalkeeper Terkaa Melai scored a first half goal via penalty to ensure they record maximum points at the Katsina-Ala stadium. But there was tension at the stadium when the original referee for game was allegedly changed, with Lobi Stars crying foul.

    They were said to have accused Sunshine Stars boss Mike Idoko of being it. It was quickly resolved .

    The victory on Wednesday now takes Lobi Stars to a disappointing 32 points from 24 games as they have not fared well so far this season.

  • Lobi Stars confirm Libya trip

    Lobi Stars will on July 19 leave for Libya to participate in an invitational tournament, a top official of the club has told SportingLife.

    The competition slated for Tripoli will involve six clubs, five of which will be from the Libyan elite division.

    It will hold between July 20 and 28 but other details about the competition were sketchy at the time of writing this report.

    Making this known to SportingLife, Lobi Stars Technical Director, Dominic Iorfa, said that the competition is aimed at exposing and adding to the experience of Lobi players.

    He also revealed that the club has signed a pact with a top club in Libya with details of the modalities yet to be concluded.

    Iorfa predicted that going by the efforts being made by the Libyan Football Federation, the Libyan League would soon rank alongside, Egypt, Algeria and other North African countries.

    The former Super Eagles striker said Lobi had written a letter to the League Management Company (LMC) requesting to be excused from league games for the period of the tournament.

    Highlighting the gains of the tournament, Iorfa said: “We have attracted a tournament in Libya and we shall be travelling there on the 19th of July for the competition that starts the following day.

    “It will end on the 28th of July. We cannot de-emphasise the importance of exposure and experience.

    “Some of our players will see the opportunity the competition provides to travel outside the country and see how it feels to play outside one’s domain.

    “We are expecting a favourable response from the LMC and as soon as we get it, we shall plan about how to go there. It is the first time that our club will be travelling abroad for an international competition under my tenure and we shall make the best use of it.”

    SportingLife recalls that Lobi sold striker Anthony Okpotu to Libyan giants Al-Ittihad for USD360,000 (59 million naira) recently.

  • Forget Lobi Stars draw, Pillars urged

    Players of Kano Pillars have been advised not to allow their week 18 one all draw against Lobi Stars on Wednesday to affect their morale.

    The defending champions failed to get three points at the Sani Abacha Stadium to increase their points on the log.

    Despite the draw, the coach Baba Ganaru tutored side are still leading the table with 33 points from 18 matches.

    The club chairman, Abba Yola told the players to accept the outcome of the match as the will of God.

    Kano Pillars will confront El-Kanemi in a week 19 league game in a Northern derby at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Sunday.

    “It was unbelievable that we were unable to get three points in the game. That was football for you and you have to accept it the way it comes. We want you to put that behind you and focus on the game against El Kanemi on Sunday.

    “We don’t need to dwell much on the past so that it will not affect our future. We can still achieve our set target which is to win the title if we are determined and focused,” he said.

  • Lobi Stars query Warri Wolves’ poor officiating claim

    Lobi Stars query Warri Wolves’ poor officiating claim

    Lobi Stars have fought back against Warri Wolves for alleging that they lost their Week 12 NPFL tie in Katsina Ala to poor officiating in the game decided at the Chief Akume Atongo Stadium on Wednesday.

    Warri Wolves’ media officer Moses Etu had earlier said the officiating performance of the centre referee, Henry Ogunyimodi from Ondo State and his assistants was far from impressive but in a press release made available to SportingLife, Lobi Stars’ media consultant, Jack Moses Ekwe Ekwe picked holes in the wrong assertion stating that the Delta State team lost to a better side and should stop complaining.

    Jack Moses noted that referee Ogunyimodi and his assistants; Messrs Egunbiyi Suleiman and Samuel A from Oyo and Adamawa States respectively should be commended for interpreting the laws of the game to the best of their ability.

    According to Moses: “The centre referee Henry Ogunyimodi and his assistants had a good outing they were on top of the situation and were never intimidated from discharging their duties.

    “After catalogue of near misses from both sides in the first half John Kollins snaked in off Warri Wolves’ defence to slide home from close range in the 27th minute. The second half saw both sides evenly matched with their exchange of passes but with no goal to show for it. Warri Wolves should not distort fact and start chasing shadows when they ought to have returned to the drawing board to review why they lost.”

    Meanwhile, Lobi Stars’ Vice Chairman and Technical Adviser, Dominic Iorfa has given reasons his wards were victorious against Warri Wolves.

    He said: “We tamed Warri Wolves bench with modern tactics and techniques. We were the better side and they have no reasons to complain at all.”

  • Lobi Stars to avoid defeat

    Lobi Stars FC have said they will be more professional in approaching their league games as they aim to return to the continent at the end of the season.

    Lobi was one of Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF Confederation Cup where they crash out in the early stage of the 2013 edition. The Makurdi based side are set to put their house in order for a return to the continent.

    “We want to finish among the top four at the end of the season. Playing on the continent is one experience too good to miss,” coach Barnabas Imenger informed futaa.com.

    Lobi will host Enyimba in their next game on May 9, and Imenger would like to avoid defeat.

    “We’ll try to avoid defeat in both our home and away games so that we can move up the table and compete among the top four.”

    Lobi forced Nasarawa United to a 1-1 draw last Sunday after a 2-1 victory over Enugu Rangers, and are placed 8th on the league table with 13 points.

  • I’m back to explode, Okpoku spits fire

    I’m back to explode, Okpoku spits fire

    LOBI STARS goal machine, Tony Okpotu who just recovered from a foot injury has promised to open his account of goals this season during his club’s away game against Nasarawa United in Lafia.

    Okpotu fondly called lightning by his admirers because of his breathtaking speed revealed that he was back to the fold after his injury induced absence for about two weeks and would be ready to let Nasarawa United know about his presence today.

    “I have been on the treatment table for close to two weeks but I’m back to training and I’m ready to regain starting shirt if selected by the sweat merchant, Dominic Iorfa.

    “It was not good watching from the sideline while my colleagues were in search of honours and points,” Okpotu stressed.

    The former U20 invitee got injured shortly after the Maputo misadventure early this month.