Niger Tornadoes F.C.

Niger Tornadoes

Full name	Niger Tornadoes Football Club
Nickname(s)	Ikon Allah
Founded	1977; 47 years ago (1977)
Ground	Bako Kontagora Stadium Minna, Nigeria
Capacity	5,000
Chairman	Hon. Adamu Aliyu Mohammed
Manager	Daniel Aquino [1]
League	Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL)
2023—24	Nigeria Professional Football League, 14th of 20[2]
Home colours

Niger Tornadoes Football Club is a soccer club based in Minna, Nigeria. They play in the Nigerian Professional Football League. Their home stadium is Bako Kontagora Stadium. They have also played their home games at Confluence Stadium in Lokoja.

History

In 2005 they finished in the lower half of the Nigerian Premier League but avoided relegation by three points. The club has suffered financial difficulties, with players complaining of unpaid salaries and bonuses.

After a 0–3 start to the 2008–09 season the entire management was sacked. The replacements for the chairman (David Suleiman) and the manager (Danladi Nasidi) had the same positions at the club from 2004 to 2005 when they finished 13th and 14th in the Premier League. On November 15, the team hired Justin Tenger as technical adviser, a role he had until 2004.

They were relegated from the Premier League in 2012 on goal difference after scoring 38 goals in 36 games. Thirteen of the goals were scored by Sibi Gwar who was the league's top scorer. They won promotion again in 2015 after winning the Nigeria National League.

Niger Tornadoes were promoted back to the top division in 2015. Coach Abdullahi Biffo led them to a promotion spot which they clinched after defeating Mighty Jets F.C. 2–0.^[3] With two goals from their star forward, Joaco Seleme.

Niger Tornadoes were runners up in the Nigerian FA Cup in 2017 after losing on penalties to Akwa United.^[4]

The club was fined N1 million in 2019 for crowd troubles in a game against Bendel Insurance.^[5]

Achievements

• Nigerian FA Cup: 1

2000

• National Second Division: 2

1996, 2015

Performance in CAF competitions

• CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 1 appearance

2001 – Quarter-finals

• WAFU Club Championship: 1 appearance

2010 – Quarter-finals

Current team

As of 11 February 2019

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  NGA Ndem Innocent 2  NGA James Martins Iko 3 FW  NGA Anthony Onyebuchi Onyeakazi 4  NGA Moses Ugwu 5 DF  NGA Sunday Akinmoladun 6 DF  NGA Sarki Ismaila 7 MF  NGA Tanko Awwal 8 MF  NGA Adetola Ayo 9 FW  NGA Muhammed Adam Amao 11  GHA Eric Frimpong 13  NGA Peter Abashiya 14 MF  NGA Obinna Jacob

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 DF  NGA Ibrahim Babawo Abubakar 20 FW  NGA Mustapha Jibrin 21 AMF  NGA Miazina Nwimueyii 22 FW  NGA Osondu Jonathan 23 FW  NGA Analaba Uchechukwu 27  NGA Atsen Emmanuel 28 DF  NGA Anyamele Chukwuemeka 30 GK  NGA Mustapha Salihu Aliko 32  NGA Mohammed Aliyu 33 FW  NGA Chigbo Chinenye Christian 34 MF  NGA Alani Azeez 35 MF  NGA Iliasu Sulaimon 36 FW  NGA Amamgbo Ekenedelichukwu 38  NGA Bashar Usman

References

1. "Tornadoes Coach Bala insists club won't be relegated". npfl.ng. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
2. "NPFL 2021/2022 standings - overall, home/away standings". Flashscore. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
3. Prince, Toby (September 30, 2015). "Meet the four teams promoted to the Nigeria Premier League". qed.ng.
4. "Akwa Utd Defeats Tornadoes to Win Maiden Aiteo Cup". thisdaylive.com.
5. "LMC fines Niger Tornadoes N1 million for crowd troubles". Dailytimes.ng. February 7, 2015.