CAFCC Ijebu-Ode Ruled Out, Lobi To Hold Camp In Makurdi

..As players return to camp on Jan. 1

By Frankie Omokhua

Lobi Stars players will now hold their camping exercise in their ancestral home ground of Makurdi, Benue state capital, instead of the choice of Ijebu-Ode as earlier planned, reports BSNSports.com.ng.

The latest decision is to ensure the players acclamatise well in a place that has similar weather conditions with Enugu, where they currently play their home games in the competition.

Ahead of the first leg CAF Champions League Group stage against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, the club's Vice-Chairman, Mike Idoko, while having a chat with Sports Yarn Class (SYC) on Sunday evening said, "We will be returning home (Makurdi) to hold our camping exercise because as you know, home is home and no one can doubt that".

"Our decision is based on the fact that Makurdi has the same weather condition like Enugu, so, it will be better to have full preparation at home before departing two days to the encounter.

"Moreso, there is the need to cut cost in order to carry out procedures that are top on our agenda because so many things needed to be done, hence, the latest development to achieve our goals"

Meanwhile, Idoko also hinted that the players who have gone on holidays because of the Christmas celebrations but will be resuming in camp on Tuesday, January 1, 2018.

"All the players are presently on break but, hopefully, they will start arriving in camp from Monday, Dec. 31, and by January 1, we should have all the players back to commence preparation".

Lobi Stars who made history by qualifying for the group stage after all efforts to reach the money-spinning stage had eluded Nigerian clubs for some years now, will be chasing another milestone when they face their opponents on January 11, 2019, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.