NNL: Lobi Stars chief plans squad overhaul after failed promotion bid
Lobi Stars Chair Announces Squad Rebuilding for Upcoming NNL Season
Makurdi, Nigeria – Lobi Stars Chairman Terver Ikya has unveiled plans to restructure the team ahead of the 2026/27 Nigeria National League (NNL) season. The initiative follows the club’s failure to secure promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in the recent NNL campaign.
Ikya stated that the club will elevate five players from its U-19 youth team, aiming for a total squad size of thirty-five players for the upcoming season. “We will promote five players from the youth team and will not recruit more than thirty additional players,” Ikya told Voicesports.
In a significant move, Ikya announced that contracts for players signed prior to the current board’s tenure will be terminated. “We will start with a clean slate, ending contracts for players who joined before our administration, most of which range from one to two years,” he explained.
Additionally, Ikya emphasized that the club will not consider player recommendations from external sources, stating, “I want to take my fate in my hands so that whatever the outcome, I will take full responsibility.”
