Lobi Stars F.C.

Full name	Lobi Stars Football Club
Nickname(s)	Ortom boys
Founded	1981
Ground	Aper Aku Stadium Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
Capacity	15,000
Chairman	Mike Idoko
Manager	Godwin Uwua
League	Nigeria Premier League
2015	14th
Home colours Away colours

Lobi Stars Football Club (formerly known as Lobi Bank, BBL Hawks, and Hawks) is a soccer club based in Makurdi, Benue. They play in the Nigerian Premier League. The Stars' home is the 15,000 seat Aper Aku Stadium. For the 2012 season they played some games at Abuja's Old Parade Ground after they were denied use of Emmanuel Atongo Stadium, Katsina-Ala or Aper Aku Stadium.

History

Founded as Hawks of Makurdi in 1981 by the Benue State sports council, the club was renamed Benue Breweries Limited (BBL) Hawks Football club, when the state-owned Breweries acquired the club in 1985. There was another change again when state-owned Lobi Bank acquired the club in 1990 and named it Lobi Bank Football Club.^[1]

In 1999, the Nigeria Football League was played in a new format which saw the top four teams squaring up in a knock out Super League at the National Stadium, Surulere. Lobi Stars won the maiden edition of the Nigerian Super League under coach Godwin Koko Uwua's management. Lobi Stars won its first and only FA Cup title in 2003 after beating Sharks FC, In 2005 they reached the finals of the domestic FA Cup where they lost to Enyimba. They finished the 2008–09 season with an official record of 13 wins 10 draws & 15 losses after winning a game on appeal against Enugu Rangers, avoiding the drop by one point. In August 2009, the Benue State government announced the club will be leased to private ownership, ending direct support from the state,that never materialised. Lobi finished 3rd in Glo premier league in 2012 they also reached the Federation Cup final that season but lost to Heartland FC of Owerri.

Achievements

• Nigerian Premier League: 2

1999, 2018.

• Nigerian FA Cup: 1

2003.

• Nigerian Super Cup: 1

1999.

Performance in CAF competitions

• CAF Champions League: 1 appearance

2000 – Group Stage

• CAF Confederation Cup: 3 appearances

2004 – Second Round

2006 – Second Round

2012 – First Round

• WAFU Club Championship: 1 appearance

2010 – First Round

Current squad

As of 21 February 2016 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Olufemi Kayode 2 DF Moses Bunde 3 DF Ebube Duru 4 MF Douglas Achiv 5 DF Agbaji Anthony 6 DF Zango Umar 8 MF Cletus Itodo 9 FW Samad Kadhiri 10 FW David Tyavkase 11 Ogunye Austin 12 Ekene Olisema 14 FW Mbah Ezekiel

No. Position Player 15 MF Aliassou Sanou 16 GK John Lawrence 18 DF Solomon Kwambe 21 MF Ayo Saka 24 MF Sunday Akleche 25 MF Hope Fiberesima 31 Shehu Nasiru 34 Ezekiel Henry GK Daniel Atsaka

Coaching staff

• Technical Advisor – Solomon Ogbeide
• Assistant Coach –
• Technical Coach –

Former managers

• Shaibu Amodu
• Kosta Papić
• Godwin Uwua
• Salisu Yusuf
• Ufere Nwankwo
• Mitko Dobrev (2009–??)
• John Zaki
• Garba Lawal

References

• http://iorfaonline.blogspot.com/p/about-lobi-stars.html
• Lobi signs 16 players at www.ngrguardiannews.com, accessed 20 November 2012
• Enyimba wins again at newswatchngr.com, accessed 3 January 2006.
• Iorfa vows to lift Lobi, as Board drops Kpakpor. Vanguard accessed 9 Nov. 2008
• Lobi okays Dobrev, places 10 on transfer
• Lobi Stars to be privatised next month (goal.com)
• Nwankwo joins Lobi Stars
• The bizarre refereeing that nearly claimed lives at Aper Aku Stadium (Sunday Trust)
• LMC declares 2017/18 NPFL season concluded at Match Day 24