MFON PATRICK
Head Coach of Akwa United Kennedy Boboye says his team’s participation in the four-club invitational pre-season tournament tagged the President’s Cup will afford his team the opportunity to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the 2021/2022 football season slated to kick-off on Friday 17th December, 2021.
Nigeria Professional Football League Champions Akwa United are in Abuja alongside Lobi Stars, Kano Pillars and Sunshine Stars for a pre-season invitational tourney jointly organized by the Special Assistant to the President on Sports, Daniel Amokachi and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports.
In a release made available to Akwa United by the tournament organizers, the Promise Keepers will play their first match today Friday 10th December, against Lobi Stars by six O’clock in the evening under floodlights at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, before facing Sunshine Stars and Kano Pillars respectively on Saturday and Sunday also at 6pm at the venue.
Coach Boboye said ” This pre-season tournament is coming just few days before the commencement of the new football season and I think it’s a good opportunity for us to participate and compete against other top teams in the country.
“Pre-season’s tournament like this offer us a wonderful opportunity to assess and test-run our team as we look forward to a new football season. We have been on break for four months and within that period we have played some test games but the President’s Cup looks good to be a spectacle because of the quality of invited clubs.
“We have three matches to play and by the time we are done with the tournament on Sunday, we will have a clear picture of how to structure our team for next season. At the moment, our aim is to use this tournament to blend our new players to ensure they imbibe our philosophy of play. Again, we will put in our very best in this tournament, knowing that if we emerge victorious, it will really encourage and motivate us going into the new season”.
A team of 33 players, technical crew members and other top staff of the club arrived Abuja early this morning for the tournament.