Barely six days to the commencement of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season, the management of Gombe United FC has appointed Mohammed Babaganaru as its new head coach for the season.
Mr. Abubakar Abubakar, the General Manager of Gombe United FC, said this while unveiling Babaganaru as replacement for Aliyu Zubairu, who left the club in July and later signed for El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri.
Abubakar said Babaganaru’s appointment was a result of a thorough search for an experienced coach that could uphold the good history of the club.
He said Babaganaru was qualified in view of his coaching experience with top clubs in NPFL and what he had been able to achieve with the different clubs he had coached.
“We didn’t appoint Babaganaru based on our personal interest but because he is a good pick for the club based on what he has achieved,” he said.
He said four seasons ago, Zubairu was appointed based on his coaching prowess and he was able to achieve a lot with the support of the state government.
“So today we are doing the same thing by appointing the right man for the job,” explained Abubakar.
He prayed that the new coach would not only sustain the good works of Zubairu but improve upon them for the good of the club.
He said the management was mindful of the history of Gombe United and that was a major reason for selecting the experienced gaffer.
The general manager commended Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State for his support towards the appointment of the new coach.
He also commended Zubairu for his efforts towards building Gombe United while he was with the club.
“I want to thank the media and the fans too for their support and we pray for good fortune for the club this season,” he said.
On his part, Babaganaru admitted that there was work to be done in view of the fact that top players had exited the club and he would need to build the team.
He admitted that the task before him would not be easy in view of the short time he had to prepare for the league which commences on Sept. 9.
He appealed to the supporters and management of the club not to expect magic from him as building a new team was not be done overnight, hence he said they needed to be patient and prayerful.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Babaganaru signed a year contract with the Gombe-based club.
Babaganaru who left Lobi Stars of Makurdi last season following the expiration of his contract had in 2013 led Kano Pillars to win the NPFL title.
He had also managed Nasarawa United, Wikki Tourists and El Kanemi Warriors.
