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| Full name | Lobi Stars Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Ortom boys | ||
| Founded | 1981 by late Bishop A.A. Ushu of the catholic diocese of Makurdi. | ||
| Ground | Aper Aku Stadium Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria | ||
| Capacity | 15,000 | ||
| Chairman | Mike Idoko | ||
| League | Nigeria Professional Football League | ||
| 2015 | 14th | ||
| |||
Lobi Stars Football Club (formerly known as Mosquito football club, Lobi Bank, BBL Hawks, and Hawks) is a soccer club based in Makurdi, Benue. They play in the Nigerian Professional Football League. The Stars' home is the 15,000 seat 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 and 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.
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.
Achievements
- Nigeria Professional Football League: 2
- 1999, 2018.
- 2003.
- Nigerian Super Cup: 1
- 1999.
- 2018.
Performance in CAF competitions
- CAF Champions League: 2 appearance
- 2000 – Group stage
- 2018 – 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 December 2018[2] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.
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Coaching staff
- Technical Advisor –
Gbenga Ogunbote - Assistant Coach –
- Technical Coach –
Former managers
- Shaibu Amodu
Kosta Papić- Godwin Uwua
- Salisu Yusuf
- Ufere Nwankwo
Mitko Dobrev (2009–??)- John Zaki
- Garba Lawal
- Solomon Ogbeide
Notable Players
- Dare Ojo
- Taye Ismaila Taiwo
References
- ^ "Dominic Iorfa Online : About Lobi Stars". Dominic Iorfa Online. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
- ^ CAF Champions League squad
- 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