League season: ABS lines up seven friendly matches

Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club of Ilorin, Kwara State, a Nigeria National League side, said that it had lined up seven friendly matches ahead of the new league season.
The General Manager of the club, Alloy Chukwuemeka, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ilorin on Sunday.
NAN recalls that the new season will kick off on January 25.
Chukwuemeka said the friendly matches, which involved pro and premier league clubs, would be the final test for the players before the season.
He said the first match would be against Kogi United at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, on January 9, while the team would travel to Akure to meet Sunshine Stars on January 11.
He explained that the team would tackle Kwara United on January 12 in Ilorin and play Crown FC in Ogbomoso on January 14.
He said: “ABS will leave Ogbomoso on January 15 to Otta to face Enyimba on January 16, while the club would leave for Minna to engage Niger Tornadoes on January 18.
“It will play against the Football College in Abuja on January 20 and return to Ilorin to face Abia Comet for the league opener.”
The former Yobe Desert Stars media chief restated the friendlies were to prepare the club for a quick return to the premier league.
He reiterated that the relegation of the Ilorin pro-club from the Premier League last season caused exodus of about 24 key players to other clubs.
Chukwuemeka said that the development had resulted to intensive screening exercise for their replacements.
NAN reports that the two Ilorin-based clubs were relegated at the end of 2012/2013 Nigeria Premier League season.