The management of Abia Warriors will soon begin a recruitment programme that will see some of the current players dropped for younger ones, a member of the management team has said.
Abia Warriors, who were tipped to beat El-Kanemi Warriors and lift their first Federation Cup in their history, lost 0-2 to the newly promoted Maiduguri-based team.
But according to some of the officials, the way the Umuahia-based team was dominated by El-Kanemi Warriors showed that some of the players no longer have any business playing topflight football.
An official, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that they have been managing the current crop of players since they took over the club, adding that it was a miracle the team got to the final of the President Federation Cup.
“We were supposed to lose to Kano Pillars because they outclassed us, but they missed their chances and we won through a penalty shootout.
“We managed to escape relegation and I think that was because everybody associated with the club buckled up to ensure we survived. But this Federation Cup has shown that we cannot go anywhere with this crop of players,” he said.
Abia Warriors, who returned to Umuahia yesterday, are expected to start a short vacation before resuming training ahead of the 2024/25 season, which begins on August 31, 2024.
