Beaten Abia Warriors’ players, officials get three-match ultimatum

The management of Abia Warriors of Umuahia, which lost 0-1 to defending champions, Kano Pillars, in a Week Nine game at home, has given the coaches and players of the team an ultimatum to win their next three Glo Premier League matches or be ready to collect only half of their monthly salary.

Sunday’s loss was Abia Warriors’ second home loss of the season.

During an emergency meeting involving board members and the team’s technical crew at the club’s secretariat in Umuahia to review the match, the management expressed displeasure that the club has lost twice in only five home games.

According to the club Chairman, Emeka Inyama, Abia Warriors have no reason not to do well since the welfare of the players and officials have been properly taken care of.

“As we speak, we are net owing any of you. Your salary has been paid regularly so you don’t have any reason not to perform well,” a disappointed Inyama told the technical crew.

According to him, only half of their salary will henceforth be paid to them unless they win their next three league games, insisting that there will be 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 their Premier League debut season and were expected to improve on that.

He reminded the coaches that they were given a free hand to recruit the players they felt could deliver the goods and wondered why the team could not hold its own 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, but he 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 promised that the team would perform better in their subsequent matches, while commending the government and management for their support so far this season.