Niger Tornadoes head coach Abubakar Bala believes his side recruited the best players for the 2017/18 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season due to kick off on Sunday, January 14.
The Ikon Allah Boys are currently on Christmas and New Year holidays and will resume activities on Wednesday, January 3.
Bala said the essence of the recruitment and preseason build-up phase is to ensure the side perform far better than it did in the previous season.
“We recruited 18 players, dropped 21 and retained 19 for the upcoming football season.
“We recruited quality players to add value to our squad, especially in our attack which was our weakest point last season.
“Already the new recruits have shown their class the pre-season tournaments – the Gold Cup and the Ahlan Cup 2017.
“The team is stronger now compared with what we had last season.
“We attracted quality players from the best club sides in the country, including Enyimba, Akwa United, Plateau United, Lobi Stars and Rivers United.
“I think the attraction for the new players is the unusual set-up at Niger Tornadoes that puts a premium on player welfare.
“None of our players are owed any entitlements and that’s a huge factor to entice and quality players to our camp.
“The target for us in the coming football season is to cement a continental ticket as well as win the league honours.
“We will have to fight hard to better our performance.
“This state of affairs is a bit shaky with regards to the new management shakeup.
“The entire team is wondering whether the new management will be do better than their predecessors.
“However, we remain positive that the end result will be productive and the players will return from their break stronger to confront the task ahead,” said the Golden Eaglets assistant coach to supersport.com.
The Minna landlords will kickstart the league campaign at newly promoted side Kwara United in llorin on Sunday, January 14.
NEW NIGER TORNADOES PLAYERS:
Mohammed Sani (Gombe United), Uche Onwuasonaya (Gombe United), Mubarak Umar (Wikki Feeders), Mohammed Mohammed (Yobe Desert Stars), Mohammed Z Mohammed, John Kim (Plateau United), Daddy Morris (Plateau United), Hafeez Nasiru (Kaduna United), Hashim Shamsudeen (Kaduna United), Amar Abdulrashid (Mighty Jets), Abdulrashied Nasidi Frimpong (Academy), Japhet Daniel (El Kanemi Warriors), Olufemi Oladapo (Enyimba), Segun Alebiosu (Kwara United), Eric Frimpong (Enyimba), Solomon Owello (Kwara United), Chinedu Uwanze (Lobi Stars), Ifeanyi Okoye (Rivers United