By Olakunle Oyedunmola, KWARA |
Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club (ABS FC) will compete in the Nigeria National League (NNL) for the upcoming 2024/2025 season, defying previous setbacks that threatened its position.
Previously, ABS FC was among the 12 teams relegated to the Nationwide League One (NLO) after the 2023/2024 season, largely due to what the club attributed to unfavourable environmental conditions. During that same season, the junior team also competed in the NLO.
Speaking to volunteers at the North Central leg of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Players’ Talent Hunt and Development Programme in Ilorin, Jimoh Bashir, the team’s Coordinator, confirmed ABS FC’s return to professional football.
“We are excited to confirm that ABS FC will be competing in the NNL next season. Our ongoing talent hunt initiative is crucial in achieving three main goals: discovering talents for European football markets, bolstering our U-19 Youth Team, and strengthening our main squad,” Bashir stated.
He also revealed that from September, the U-19 team will be participating in the N-Youth League Cup, an elite competition designed to provide top-tier football experience and competition for teenagers and young adults aged 16-19.
The ABS FC Players’ Talent Hunt and Development Programme is a collaborative effort with foreign partners, with Shogo Shodunke serving as the consultant.
Bashir highlighted that the club is intensifying its preparations for the new season and will soon announce the coaching staff.
“We are grateful to the club’s proprietor, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Chairman Seni Saraki, and the Director of Football, Chief Alloy Chukwuemeka, for this renewed opportunity, which we are determined to justify,” he added