The Supporters Club of the El Kanemi Warriors FC of Maiduguri, on Sunday appealed to the League Management Company (LMC) to allow the club return to Maiduguri to play its remaining league matches.
Mallam Mustapha Goni, the chairman of the supporters club stated this while addressing a news conference in Maiduguri.
Goni said that the club had suffered enormous losses playing its home matches on away soil.
“We are appealing to the LMC to reconsider its action on the club; we want the company to consider the plight of the players, the challenge posed to the management as well as the supporters’ club.
“For three years, the club had played its home matches in either Kano or Katsina without much results,” he said.
Goni said that since the security situation in Maiduguri had improved greatly, there was no point pushing the club to play its matches on away soil.
“There is no gain saying that the security situation in Maiduguri had improved greatly, because the military had been able to subdue the Boko Haram terrorists.
“Allowing the club to continue to play its home matches outside will amount to injustice; therefore, we are calling on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to intervene and ensure that justice is done on the matter,” he said.
Goni said that the absence of league matches in Maiduguri had also affected sports development as many fans had turned to watching local Hausa films for relaxation.
“Hundreds of El Kanemi fans have either turned to watching foreign matches or local Hausa films for solace.
“This is detrimental to sports development in the state,” he said.
He commended the club management and the players for remaining at the Elite Premier League in spite of playing outside Maiduguri for three years.
“I think that the players and the management must be commended for remaining in the Premier League in spite of playing both home and away matches away.
“This is contrary to Nigerian mentality where home teams are expected to win at all cost,” Goni said.
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