All roads lead to McCarthy Stadium the battleground for supremacy in this year’s State FA/ Challenge Cup Finals between NPFL giant, Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi versus Red and Black Flames Football Club of Orukpo
The Head Coach of Lobi Stars, Mohammed Baba Ganaru is looking forward to securing his first domestic trophy come Thursday which will serve as a morale booster for him and his team as they go into the second Stanza of the 2023 NPFL season.
The Challenge Cup is a competition that pulls surprises as non-league sides humiliate league sides and Coach Ganaru is fully aware of the development.
He has prepared his side for the task during training sessions both tactically and technically and he will unveil the best hands to execute the job.
Though most Lobi Stars fans will be eagerly waiting to see Suur Kumaga in action, however, he won’t be available due to his National team assignment with U23 alongside Monday Akile and Joseph Orya.
Coach Ganaru will rely on his pacy winger JosephAtule, Abba Umar, Moses Tsehuan Daniel Atsaka, Terdoo Shimagande, Sunday Chinedu, Kalu Orji, and Francis Odinaka, to transfer the same league mentality into the Challenge finals to secure the trophy.
Red and Black Flames FC is a non-league-based in Otukpo Local Government that has an abundance of talented players that can pull off surprises anywhere due to the vast exposure the team has gained.
The Otukpo-based side is a touring team. Basically, last year they participated in the 9th edition of the Hungarian Embassy Tournament at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja where they won a Bronze medal.
The Otukpo based-side is guided by Coach Otokpa Udeh Edwin, who will be relying on his talented youngsters like gaolkeeper Temple Soronnadi, Eguma Godswill, Nelson Sule, Solomon Agige Benjamin Nwaogu to achieve his game plan.
Lobi Stars had good memories against the Otukpo-based side when both teams met last time during a pre-season friendly in Otukpo where the Makurdi-based side defeated the non-league side 0-3.
The “Pride of Benue” will be looking forward to a result of the same margin after the regulation time at Mccarthy Stadium tomorrow.
