Nigeria National league side Abubakar Bukola Saraki football Club ABSFC Ilorin said it has concluded arrangements to play 7 friendly matches ahead of the new season which kicks off on January 25th 2014 across the country. General Manager of the Saraki-owned club Alloy Chukwuemeka disclosed this in Lokoja at the weekend in a chat with sports writers.
He said the relegation of the Ilorin pro-club from the premier league last season caused exodus of about 24 key players who left for other clubs and as such the club shunned both the Xmas and New year festivities to conduct a thorough and intensive screening exercise to shop for their replacements.
The club Owners Association scribe also said the screening exercise was successful and fruitful too, as the club was able to assemble a crack team that would stand the test of the league challenge. He added that the friendly matches which will involve both pro and premier league clubs will serve as the final test for the players before the season.
Chukwuemeka gave out the details of the matches as first match against kogi utd at confluence stadium Lokoja on the 9th of January, while the team travels to Akure to meet Sunshine on 11th.
The team returns to Ilorin to face kwara utd on 12th before leaving for ogbomoso to play Crown on 14th. ABS will leave ogbomoso on 15th to Otta to face Enyimba on 16th before leaving for Minna to engage Niger Tornadoes on 18th and finally play against football college in Abuja on 20th and thereafter return to Ilorin to face Abia comet for the league opener.
The former Yobe Desert stars Media chief however restated the readiness of ABS FC to stage a quick return to the premier which according to him is not negotiable.
