Our target to pick continental ticket still within sight, Abia Warriors’ Biffo says

NAN-S-11
Ticket
By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, March 19, 2017 (NAN) Coach Abdullahi Biffo of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia on Sunday said his team’s target of winning a ticket to play on the continent next season was still achievable.

Biffo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan after the team forced Shooting Stars Sports Club to a goaless draw that they were determined to achieve the target.

NAN reports that the draw was recorded in a 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 14 game.

The coach said his team was in Ibadan with a determination of picking three points, saying the team was however unlucky.

Biffo said they would however have to return home to prepare very well for their next match against Kano Pillars, adding they would not allow the result to weigh them down.

“We will not allow today’s result to beat our head because we have a vital match at home next week against Kano Pillars.

“Everyone knows we cannot allow ourselves to come down again and that is why we must work hard to pick the three points against Kano Pillars.

“I don’t want to talk about where we would be on the table at mid-season now. I don’t even like to check the table because we still have lots of matches to play.

“Our target before the season started was to pick one of the continental tickets and the target is still alive,” he said.

The coach said the game was not easy to play, knowing fully well that 3SC drew their last two home matches.

Garuba Mohammed, the captain of Abia Warriors FC, on his part said he was happy with the result, noting that it would give them more confidence to win the next game.

Coach Fatai Amoo of 3SC said they were not really happy about the result of the match, even though he acknowledged that his team had shown improvement in its performance.

He said that the team was left to work on how to create and convert its goal scoring chances.

“All we want is to win our games and we will keep on working on performances till we get there,” Amoo said.

The coach said the team’s next game against defending champions Rangers International FC would be a very tough game, assuring that they would give their best.

He said all they needed was to give their best and take their chances to get the desired result.

Amoo said he was sure that his team would not be relegated at the end of the season, saying his players were just newly brought together and were gradually improving.

“I am very sure that by the end of the first stanza of the league, there would have been lots of improvement,” he said.

Also, Taiwo Shittu, a 3SC player, said they tried to convert their goal scoring chances in the game but were unlucky.

He said that they would not relent in efforts at getting their chances converted to goals.

NAN reports that the two teams played very well in the game but were unable to convert their chances.

Opeyemi Adetoyi of 3SC received the prize donated by Ibadan City Polytechnic as the man of match, while the spectators were entertained by Explicit Dancers Group.(NAN)
TAA/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)