NAN-S-14
Threat
By Obinna Unaeze
Minna, Jan. 24, 2017 (NAN) Niger Government has threatened to sack the Technical Adviser, Niger Tornadoes FC, Minna, Abubakar Bala, if the club fails to win the next two matches in the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Malam Mamman Musa, the state’s Commissioner for Youths and Sports gave the threat on Tuesday in Minna during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“Frankly, we are not comfortable with the performance of Niger Tornadoes in the ongoing league.
“The bottom of the NPFL table is not meant for us, we don’t have any reason to be there.
‘’We thought we had a brilliant technical management team but from the current performance of the club, it is not so.
“The best we can do in the interest of the club now is to give the Technical Adviser benefit of doubt to win the next two matches for the team or quit,’’ he said.
Musa, who said that government had given the management and technical crew free hand to operate, expressed concern that ‘’we are not getting positive results.’’
He said that the club had played three matches in the current league, drew one and lost two, adding that the abysmal performance of the club was not acceptable, especially after that the state government had supported the team.
‘’We are not saying that Tornadoes should top the league for now, but to be at the bottom of the league table with minus four goals is not acceptable.’’
Responding, Bala pleaded with the state government for more time to blend the players, saying that the club was made up of 70 per cent new players.
“We need to perform together for sometime before we can make headway, I am sure that with time, we will do well.
“We want government and other supporters to be patient with us; we will do well and get better,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Mr George Daniya, Media Officer to the club told NAN that the club would play Wikki Tourists FC of Bauchi on Wednesday in Lokoja.
He also said that the defending champions of the league, Enugu Rangers, would play host to the club on Sunday in Enugu.
Daniya said that Tornadoes was currently on 20 position on the league table.
NAN reports that Bala took over from Abdullahi Biffo, former Technical Adviser to the club on June 1, 2016.(NAN)
OCU/ECN/DUA
Edited by Emmanuel Nwoye/Dada Ahmed