… Coach Toafeeq Babatunde optimistic of team’s success
Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club (ABS Ilorin FC) has unveiled its 30-player squad for the Nigeria National Under 19 Youth League, ahead of Tuesday’s opening fixtures.
The unveiling ceremony took place at the club’s camp in Ilorin on Friday evening.
The head coach of the team, Coach Babatunde Toafeeq, expressed optimism that the team has what it takes to compete at the big stage.
“We are fully prepared and we are ready for the task. Kano Pillars has pushed us ahead and we are hoping to go to Abuja and get the league started with a win. We’ve been together for the past six weeks and within that six weeks, we have played seven matches won four, lost one and drew two with that I think we are set for the games because it is two different things which is Talent and readiness. They have the talent and they are ready and I believe we will go far in this quest.”
Club Coordinator, Mallam Jimoh Bashir, described ABS FC as a symbol of good football, adding that a talented group has been selected. “Kwara is known for playing good football and ABS is a symbol of good football anywhere anytime. This is not the first time, you would recall that ABS won the inaugural Laliga U15 in 2017; this was how we started.
We have gathered boys that we think can make us proud. There are two aims of organizing this National Youth League, which is to promote football and to promote these young players to the European market, which I think we will make at the end of the day.
The initiative is commendable because it is an avenue to get players noticed not in Nigeria alone but beyond Nigeria because as we are playing foreign scouts are watching through the avenues the organizers have put in place.
I am very optimistic because I have watched some of their games; I know some of these players before now, and I have seen the standard that other teams can put in place; we have three categories in this, the NPFL team with their U19, NNL teams with their U19 and we academies.” He opined.
Chairman of Kwara State Football Association, Mallam Idris Musa Abdullahi, commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for endorsing the U19 Youth League.
“I want to appreciate the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Ibrahim Gusau and his board, also the NPFL for finding it necessary to develop football from grassroots; you know our aim is to develop football from grassroots to identify talented players; the U19 Youth League is going to help identify more talented players for the country.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Clubs Director of Football Chief Alloy Chukwuemeka charged the players to maintain discipline and be good ambassadors of the club.
Full Squad
_Goalkeepers (3)_
1. Yusuf Abubakar
2. Mujahede Adamu Ibrahim
3. Saheed Waheed
_Defenders (8)_
1. Idowu Abdulrahman
2. Pelumi Samuel
3. Abubakar Adebayo
4. Abdullateef Jamiu
5. Abdulsalam Moshood
6. Isiaq Jamiu
7. Faisal Yakubu
8. Hakeem Faruk
_Midfielders (8)_
1. Hannafi Babatunde
2. Mohammed Abdullahi
3. Nasiru Kafaru
4. Bolaji Olawuyi
5. Adeleke Lekan
6. Olaleke Yusuf
7. Yunus Mohammed
8. Abdulraheem Badmus
_Attackers (11)_
1. Johnson Akintola
2. Abdulwaheed Usman
3. Hammad Hammad
4. Amosa K. Kawu
5. Araromi Lawal
6. Kehinde Dosumu
7. Samson Olaonipekun
8. Badmus Abdulraheem
9. Ayo Ebi
10. Oladejo Kazeem
11. Saad Mohammed.
