NPFL: Niger Tornadoes promise to improve on goal scoring ability

Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna says the technical crew will work toward improving the team’s ability to convert chances during matches into goals.
Coach Abubakar Bala made the pledge at a news conference on Thursday in Minna against the backdrop of the club’s 1-0 victory against El Kanemi Warriors FC on Sunday at Lokoja.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the match was the Nigeria Professional Football League Match Day 33 encounter.
Bala lamented that the goal margin would have been more but his attackers could not convert the chances that came their way.
He said: “I can say that from the beginning of the season we have not been a high scoring side, yet we have done our best to ensure that we don’t concede many goals.
“We are now working to improve the scoring abilities of players, so that we don’t waste our goal chances during matches.’’
He said the match against El-kanemi could be likened to a derby of sorts, since Coach Ladan Bosso of El Kanemi Warriors was an indigene of Niger, which made the game more competitive.
Asked if there was possible match-fixing as was alleged before the match, Bala said: “I am just hearing it from you journalists now”.
He added: “You watched the game yourselves; you can make your judgment with the final outcome of the result.
“It was a keenly contested match; we laboured before we could get the only goal of the day that gave us victory.
“I must commend the character that my boys exhibited during the match; they maintained their cool and did not slow down the momentum.
“They continued to push hard until Bolaji Adeyemo nodded in the goal. We should have scored more than a goal but I’m happy with the win.’’
He said that Tornadoes technical crew would go back and perfect their tactics before the club confronts one of the title contenders, Akwa United on Sunday in Uyo.
In spite of the intimidating nature of the upcoming encounter in Uyo, Bala is highly optimistic about his team’s chances of getting a good result, but added that “in football nothing is impossible’’.
He said: “We have seen clubs getting decent results on the road which is good for the league.
“It is a sign that our league is improving. Therefore, I fancy us pulling out a shock result in Uyo.’’
NAN reports that the club currently occupies the 8th position on the NPFL standings with 58 points from 33 matches.