I ’ll likely remain with Warri Wolves —Coach Abdullahi

MANSUR Abdullahi says it is almost certain that he will stay at Warri Wolves next season when the club begins campaigns in the Nigeria National League (NNL).

The Warri side was relegated from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) at the end of the just concluded 2015/16 season but the coach says he is not likely to change allegiance.

“I will remain with Warri Wolves,” Abdualahi told Tribunesport by phone. The decision to remain with Warri Wolves, according to the coach, was arrived at after consulting with members of his family who gave their approval.

Though he stated that the Delta State Commissioner for Youth and Sports had indicated all along that he (Abdullahi) should stay, red tape must be set right for him to remain with the club. “It’s almost 60 per cent ready for me to remain with Warri Wolves, but the contractual agreement, conditions of service will determine,” Abdulahi said.

And he gives his word that with him in charge, Warri Wolves will return to the topflight of the Nigerian football league in no time. “I can remain there if all things are put in place and next season, Warri Wolves will be back to the Premier league.”

He, however, lamented the club’s drop from the professional league, which he said was avoidable in the first place. He sees the players’ refusal to abandon training in the face of their unpaid salaries as unprofessional as players of some other clubs were owed salaries and bonuses, yet they didn’t go on strike.

“They were not the only ones being owed. How much was Sunshine owing? Five months. There were some other clubs, four months, others, three months, but they didn’t for one day refuse to do their job,” Abdullahi said.