Naija Super 8 play-offs: ‘We are not under pressure’, says City FC Chairman

The Chairman of City Football Club of Abuja, Chidi Okonkwo, has said his team will not be under any pressure when they face Lobi Stars of Makurdi in the Naija Super 8 play-offs.

Both North-Central teams are set to lock horns in the opening fixture of the play-offs at the Eket Township Stadium on 23 June. The Nigeria National League club is the underdog for the knockout tie. The winner of the match will represent the zone in the main Naija Super 8 tournament, set to hold at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, from 7-16 July.

Okonkwo said his team deserves to be in the play-offs and the boys will not be intimidated when they take on Lobi Stars. “I think every team in this Super 8 play-offs deserves to be there. For City FC to be there from NNL means we are a big team too. We just missed promotion last season by one point and we were top of the league for a long time before we lost the promotion ticket to El Kanemi Warriors.

“So what I’m looking for in the tournament is for the boys to have fun. It is not a tournament they have to put themselves under pressure but just to have fun. They should also use the tournament to showcase themselves,” Okonkwo said.

City FC and Lobi Stars qualified as representatives of the North-Central geo-political zone in the Naija Super 8 play-offs, after securing 197, 858 and 71, 182 votes respectively from football fans across the country.

Also on the opening matchday, Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan (3SC), will go head-to-head with Remo Stars of Shagamu, for the ticket to represent the South-West geo-political zone.