Aliyu Zubairu, the Technical Adviser of Gombe United Football Club, has expressed optimism that the club will pick continental ticket during the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Zubairu said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Wednesday.
He said the club would not just participate in league to “make the number but to contest for every available laurel.’’
According to him, the team has the structure, system and philosophy that helped it secure promotion to the NPFL as it will be fortified to give a good fight to any team in the NPFL.
“I feel ok about our promotion and it is a terrain that I am very used to and we are going to contest for laurels.
“Gombe United is not going to make up the number as we used to be, we are going to contest for anything that is available.
“With more support, we will grab a continental ticket and surprise Nigerians,’’ he said.
The club’s technical adviser said the team was being prepared for the competition ahead, adding that all necessary requirements toward fortifying the team would be prioritised.
“We are trying to fortify the team and no team in the world is a complete team, so you don’t expect us (Gombe United) to be complete.
“But where we have our shortcomings, we are trying to do some shopping and get some players that can fit into the team to be able to fight for laurels next season.’’
Zubairu said he believed that his team would put up a good show at the NPFL, and our fans “should be very sure that we are going to compete for laurels and I believe we will get it by God’s grace.
“Those teams getting it are not in any way better than us, it all depends on the mindset of the players and the level of preparation and that we will work on to surprise Nigerians.’’
On how the team secured promotion, Zubairu said the magic is God and his players, adding “I have a crop of players that are very dedicated to their job.
“I think they are the secret, I don’t think there is any secret other than the commitment of the players and I feel good coming back and we thank God for that.’’
On possible offers that may lure him out to a bigger club, Zubairu said he had been offered two juicy and tempting offers that many coaches would have jumped at but “I am here to stabilise the club.’’
Zubairu commended the “fatherly’’ role played by Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state in terms of prompt payment of salaries and providing the needed financial support for the team.
While also commending the chairman of Gombe United Management, Dr Larry Daniel and his entire team for their support, the technical adviser said with more support, the club would grab a continental ticket.
He, however, appealed to the state government to address some pending issues like match bonuses and getting modern training equipment which Zubairu described as a major challenge toward securing promotion to the NPFL.
NAN reports that the club last Saturday secured their promotion to the NPFL after finishing second with five points from three matches at the just concluded Nigeria National League (NNL) Super Eight Play-off in Enugu state.
The team was relegated from NPFL in the 2018/ 2019 season