Aliyu Zubairu, the Technical Coach of Gombe United Football Club, has decried the poor financial motivation for his team in the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Zubairu, was speaking during a post match conference, after his team’s mid-week game against Abia Warriors of Umuahia, at the Pantami stadium, Gombe on Wednesday.
The coach said his team was not well motivated financially to contest for the NPFL title.
“I don’t think we are bargaining for contention in the league; this is not the way it goes.
“Everybody knows the financial challenge of this team; any team that wants to contest, this is not the way it goes,” he said.
Zubairu said that his team had been going through a lot of hard times financially.
“I commend my management for going the extra mile to raise finances for the team to travel.
“If not, things are not rosy; no single match bonus has been paid as I speak with you; last season match bonuses are outstanding.
“There is nothing motivating the team; out of over 20 match bonuses only one or two has been paid,’’ he stated.
Zubairu however, said in spite of the club’s poor financial position, his team would continue to put up good fight in the league.
On the match, he stated that the performance of his team was good but stated that his team was still having issues with clinical finishing in the 18-yard box.
He said that though goals-scoring was a process which his team had been working to improve and “by the time the boys get it right, it will stabilize the team.’’
He added that the absence of fans at the stadium might have affected the goals-scoring performance of his team, stressing that the game was different without fans cheering and motivating them.
The technical coach said that the tactical and physical nature of the visiting team also made the game difficult for his side, hence the lone goal.
Ezinwo Ernest, Assistant Coach of Abia Warriors said he was not impressed with the result even though his team dominated the match, “but because of one thing or the other’’ they could not get the desired result.
NAN reports that substitute Williams Ukeme scored Gombe United’s lone goal of the game in the 70th minute. (NAN)
