Management of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia, Abia State, has given the coaches and players of the team an ultimatum to win their next three matches in the Glo Premier League or be ready to collect only half of their monthly pay.
According to the Media Officer of the team, Igwe Onuoha, the ultimatum came at the heels of the Warriors’ second home loss of the season, as champions, Kano Pillars, won 1-0 in Umuahia in one of the Week Nine matches played.
During an emergency meeting attended by board members and the technical crew, convened at the club’s secretariat in Umuahia to review the lost match, the management expressed displeasure that the club lost twice in five home games, insisting that the club’s fortunes must improve henceforth.
Club Chairman, Emeka Inyama, said Abia Warriors have no reason not to do well, since the welfare of the players and officials have been properly taken care of.
He said: “As we speak, we are not owing any of you. Your salary has been paid regularly; so you don’t have any reason not to perform well.”
While stressing that only half of their salary will henceforth be paid to them, unless they win their next three league games, he insisted that there’s no going back on the decision.
Inyama urged the technical crew to strengthen all weak areas in the team to make them more competitive, adding that the Warriors did well in its Premier League season debut and is expected to improve on that.
He reminded the coaches that they were given a free hand to recruit the player they felt could deliver the goods, as management never interfered in their selection and wondered why the team could not hold its own on home soil against the defending champions.
Responding, the Technical Adviser of the team, Isa Ladan Bosso, on behalf of his crew and the players, apologised for the loss against his former employers and attributed it to ill-luck.
“We dominated the match and created more goal-scoring opportunities than Pillars, but the goals simply refused to come,” he said.
Bosso, however, promised that the team would perform better in subsequent matches and commended the government and management for their support so far and urged them not to relent.
