By Denen Achussah
In recent times, we have had to contend with leaving our seats, itching to see Lobi Stars hit the back of the net. It is worse with home games.
When on Tuesday, 7th September, 2021, Eddy Lord Dombraye, was unveiled as the new gaffer of Lobi Stars Football Club (LSFC) Makurdi, we thought the narrative will change.
However, it appears we will continue to wait for that change. Before the commencement of the 2021/2022 NPFL season, the worse in the history of the club happened. The Makurdi side lost all its last pre-season games. What a run to a new season!
For its current season opener, Lobi Stars were held to a home draw. And if not for Nanen Imenger’s late minute leveler, it could have been a home defeat.
There is a Tiv saying that “Hiar ngu a hiin a hiin a igbe (incantation of Igbe starts immediately a whirl wind begins to rise). We cannot allow things to get out of hand before attempting to proffer solution.
Lobi had let off its key players just before the end of last season. I do not even know their new signings because nearly everything about the club seems to be shrouded in secrecy. Hardly, does one see the team’s line-up before matches, contrary to the global practice. You can’t question because you will be blocked, including on social media for daring to ask questions.
Lobi Stars FC is not a private club. It is owned by the Benue State Government and run with tax payers money. And to think that the club was established to first of all promote football in Benue State, one wonder why you hardly can find three Benue indigenes on the field when the club files out for a showpiece.
The only viable youth programme by the Benue State Government is the club. It is absolutely wrong that the government will be boasting of the club as its contribution to youth development in the state when in fact, the youth of the state who are excellent in football have no place in the club.
Now, if it is because they are not good, how good or well are these foreigners playing that they can’t win games? Football to me is about winning games. No matter how entertaining or beautiful game you’ve play, if you don’t win games, you can’t win titles. I want titles. We want titles.
The technical team and the club management has to wake up. Things cannot continue this way. I didn’t watch the last game because I was not in town. However, if what I scooped is to go by, the team was less than impressive.
Let me give coach Eddy Dombraye the benefit of the doubt for the next game. He had boasted at his unveiling: “For me impossible is nothing. Lobi is already a big team. It competes for the league all the times. So, for me it is a challenge that we can surmount with good working staff.
“We should not dream small; we have to play good to achieve something.”
He once told Nigerian journalists: “Yes I know there will be obstacles and nothing good comes easy. So, we so not have to give wait until the environment is not conducive. That is always our excuse. We have to work with what we have and try to reach our goals. We do not have to keep giving excuses all the time.”
If he can’t perform, let him go. Lobi Stars cannot afford to be a platform for coaches to come and learn how to lead Nigerian clubs to winning matches.
