Lobi Stars F.C.

Lobi Stars Football Club (formerly known as Mosquito football club, Lobi Bank, BBL Hawks, and Hawks) is a Nigerian professional soccer club based in Makurdi, Benue. The club competes in the Nigerian Professional Football League. The Stars' home is the 8,000-seater Aper Aku Stadium.[1]

Full nameLobi Stars Football Club
Nickname(s)Ortom boys
Founded1981 by late Bishop A.A. Usuh of the catholic diocese of Makurdi.
GroundAper Aku Stadium
Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
Capacity8,000
ChairmanTama Aondofar Emmanuel
LeagueNigeria Professional Football League
2020–21Nigeria Professional Football League, 8th of 20

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 the state-owned Lobi Bank acquired the club in 1990 and named it Lobi Bank Football Club.[2]

In 1999, the Nigeria Football League was played in a new format which saw the top four teams squaring up in a knockout 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 of Port-Harcourt.[3]

In 2005 they reached the finals of the domestic FA Cup where they lost to Enyimba.[4]

They finished the 2008–09 season with 13 wins, 10 draws and 15 losses after winning a game on appeal against Enugu Rangers, avoiding the drop by one point.[5]

In August 2009, the Benue State government announced the club will be leased to private ownership, ending direct support from the State, but that never materialised.[5] Lobi finished 3rd in Glo premier league in 2012. They also reached the Federation Cup final that season but lost to Heartland F.C. of Owerri.[6]

Honours

Performance in CAF competitions
2000 – Group stage
2018–19 – Group stage
2004 – Second round
2006 – Second round
2012 – First round
2010 – First round

Current squad

As of 8 February 2024[7]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  NGA Daniel Atsaka
2 DF  NGA John Lazarus
3 DF  NGA Ebuka Anaekwe
6 DF  NGA Chinedu Sunday Chukwu
7 FW  NGA Stanley Oganbor
8 MF  NGA Kumaga Suur
9 FW  NGA Barnabas Imenger
11 FW  NGA Samuel Tiza Iorwuese
12 GK  NGA Emmanuel Daniel
13 DF  NGA Orji Kalu Okagbue
14 FW  NGA Dabani Godwin Alao
16 FW  NGA Waheed Adebayo
17 DF  NGA Moses Tsehuan
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF  NGA Ajibola Adeleke
19 DF  NGA Mohammed Sani Rabiu
21 MF  NGA Christian Madu
22 MF  NGA Azeez Shobowale Shobola
23 DF  NGA Godfrey Utim
26 FW  NGA Yusuff Adewale
27 DF  NGA Monday Akile
28 MF  NGA Ahmad Liman
29 FW  NGA Chinonso Okonkwo
30 GK  NGA Lucky Jimoh
31 DF  NGA Solomon Kwambe
33 DF  NGA Agbanyi Vershima
34 MF  NGA Francis Onyirimba Odinaka
37 FW  NGA Terdoo Shimagande

Coaching staff
  • Technical Advisor – Eddy Dombraye
  • Assistant coach –
  • Technical coach –

Former managers

Notable players

References
  1. "Lobi Stars Football Club History". sitesng.com. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  2. "Dominic Iorfa Online : About Lobi Stars". Dominic Iorfa Online. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  3. Omuya, Kevin (2022-03-19). "Lobi Stars players, owner, stadium, coach, trophies, world rankings". SportsBrief - Sport news. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  4. "Nigeria: Enyimba Break Fa Cup Jinx".
  5. Adigun, Taye Hassan. "Lobi Stars". Felele247 Football. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  6. KickOff. "Heartland FC and Lobi Stars FC reach Federation Cup final". KickOff. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  7. CAF Champions League squad
  8. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Okoye, Kelechi". national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
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