The management of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu and Abia Warriors FC of Umuahia say they are ready for the 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.
Team Manager of Rangers, Amobi Ezeaku, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that arrangements have been concluded for their old and new players to return to camp on Sept. 13.
“In preparation for the new NPFL season, the club has signed high-profile players. We will unveil them as well as the club’s new jersey before the commencement of the new season,’’ he said on Tuesday.
Ezeaku added that the club licensing exercise, which the club was expected to do, was being tackled frontally and most of the certifications needed were ready.
Also, the club, in a statement by Norbert Okolie, their Media/Communications Officer, said they have set their sights on winning the league title again.
The statement quoted their General Manager, Davidson Owumi, as saying their target for the season would be the league title.
“We are due for a double this season, to appreciate our sports-loving governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who has stood by the club in all circumstances.
“I urge us all to come up with our best at all times for this target to be achieved,” Owumi said.
Also speaking, Patrick Ngwaogu, the Sporting Director of Abia Warriors, told NAN that the club had commenced preparation for the new season.
He however said they had only been waiting for directive from the country’s football authorities, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and league managers, the League Management Company (LMC).
“We are going to compete seriously for the title because a solid structure has been laid for the club and that is why there are some changes in the club.
“However, NFF has not lifted the ban on football activities, and it was only yesterday (Monday) the LMC sent us notice to commence club licensing.
“We are already prepared, because we have been signing and unveiling some players, and that is part of preparation.
“So, since we have our players in tact, it becomes very easy for the coach and the team to commence the season and we don’t rely on the state government.
“The club is an entity of its own because of our good structure,” Ngwaogu said.
NAN reports that the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, had directed the NFF to put in place the appropriate club licensing.
He had told the federation to communicate with clubs the need to comply fully with financial controls and regulations before a date would be fixed for the league’s resumption.
Dare had stated that the financial controls and regulations were in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to turn sports into a more viable business sector.(
