Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna has invited eight new players to a close camp toward preparation for the first phase of its pre-season activities just as the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, increased its monthly subvention from N7 million to N10 million.
Coach Abubakar Bala, its head coach, made this known in Minna on Saturday while briefing newsmen on the clubs preparation for the 2017/2018 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
“We have adopted a close camp to enable use concentrate and come out with the best players and good technical ability.
“It will be strictly based on invitation as gate crashing will not be entertained.
“We want to strengthen our team, we have discovered our weaknesses and have invited those we think can help us achieve our target.
“So we want to critically look at these players, therefore, the choice of Kontagora for the close camping is apt,’’ he said.
Bala said that the one week camping which started on Saturday would give the technical crew firsthand information on both new and old players playing together.
The Coach explained that blending the players would provide the club with technical ability to execute the Shehu Dilon pre-season tournament in Kaduna scheduled for November 5th to 12th as well as the Gold Cup pre-season tournament slated for November 15th to 24th in Ilorin.
He warned that all the old players who failed to report for Saturday evening training in Kontagora risked being suspended as the technical crew had given them enough resting period.
Bala said that some of the players took excuse to return on Sunday with some fines attached like Sunday Akinmoladun, Andrew Ikefe, Kazeem Yakeen, and Ebenezer Odeyemi.
The Coach, however, enjoined the teeming supporters of the team to pray for the success of the club to make good recruitment to enable it achieve more than the previous seasons.
He appreciated government, management of the club and the people of the state for their support and encouragement, promising not to disappoint them in the 2017/2018 season.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Tornadoes concluded the 2016/2017 season of the NPFL on 11th position and ended as runners-up of the just concluded AITEO Cup in Lagos.
The state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello showered the club with N10 million for their efforts in the AITEO Cup at a reception on Friday.