Ranchers Bees of Kaduna’s players, coaches and officials have turned their focus on next season in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), where they hope to excel in their return to the top-flight after 18 years’ absence.
Though they still have a last match to play ar the Nigerian National League (NNL) Super-4 in Ikenne, Ogun State, coach of the side, Ahmed Ahmad admitted that they have already started making plans for life back in the NPFL next season.
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He added in an exclusive interview with Sports247 that they will play to win their last match in Ikenne, which will be this Friday versus Doma United of Gombe, but he acknowledged that three points will not give them the trophy.
Having lost their first game 1-0 to Sporting Lagos and then fell 2-0 to Inter Lagos in the next fixture, Ahmad knows they are out of contention for the trophy, hence the quick shift in attention even before leaving Ikenne.
While keeping an eye on Friday’s last match versus Doma United, with high hopes of a consolation victory, Ahmad disclosed that he has already started making plans for a successful run for his team in the top-flight league.
He used the opportunity to dispel insinuations going round that Ranchers Bees’ new owner, Umar Sadiq, is not funding the club well enough, saying instead that the Spain-based Super Eagles’ striker is fully committed to the team.
Ahmad, who is a grassroots football guru and coached Sadiq during their days together at Abuja Football College, stressed that the lanky star is a huge source of motivation to everyone at The Bees, especially the players.
He stressed, “Sadiq is a good motivator. He knows what it means to motivate footballers. It’s easy for him to do that, because he plays in Europe.
“That’s exactly what he’s trying to do with this team, and that’s what he’s doing. He started showing his impact right from our screening days, and in our build-up to the season.
“His support was fantastic throughout the season. It is, therefore, very wrong for anybody to say he has not been motivating this team.
“In fact, he’s the moving force of this team, and we use him to propel these players. He’s been very supportive and very professional in his approach.”
The Bees’ gaffer went on to explain Sadiq’s major intentions and aspirations with the club, tops of which is to help the players get an idea of what it feels like to play in Europe, even before they leave their base in Kaduna.
Ahmad disclosed, “He wants the same level of Europe for this team. He always wants the same benefits that he is getting from football for these players to also get.
“Even our supporters can attest to that fact. The technical crew, the management, everybody can attest to it. He’s a nice guy, and he knows what he’s doing.”
Ahmad concluded with an assurance that Sadiq is up to the task of guiding the club all through their resurgent campaign in the NPFL, stressing that lessons they learnt during the NNL will help them when the top-flight season commences.
He affirmed, “Just like every other team, we want to win the league title. We know it’s a different ball game from the NNL. We know what’s at stake, and we have already started working towards it.
“When the season commences, you will see a different Ranchers Bees from the one that came for the Super-4. We are not just going to participate alone, we are targeting a continental ticket.”
