I never harboured any fear of relegation, says Iorfa

Lobi Stars Vice-chairman and former Nigerian international, Dominic Iorfa, has said even at the height of his club’s relegation worries, the thought of demotion never crossed his mind.

The former Queens Park Rangers star striker was speaking yesterday after his team edged Niger Tornadoes 1-0 in Jos to move out of the murky waters of relegation.

The week 30 match was abandoned at the end of the first 45 minutes on June 8 in Kaduna when irate fans believed to be supporters of Niger Tornadoes assaulted match officials as well as some Lobi Stars players and officials.

Thereafter, the LMC ordered that the remaining 45 minutes of the abandoned match be concluded in Jos where Lobi Stars finally triumphed over their north-central rivals.

Reacting to the crucial win which has taken the pressure of relegation off his team, Iorfa thanked God for making the victory possible.

He also commended his players for the gallantry that earned Lobi Stars the maximum points.

“It is God who made it possible. But I must acknowledge the fighting spirit of my players. They put up a good fight for us to win.

“Honestly, it has been a difficult period for all of us in Lobi but I never for one day imagined that we would be relegated.

“I remained optimistic that there would be light at the end of the long and dark tunnel,” said Iorfa.

With four more matches to play, Lobi Stars are now 13th on the table with 43 points from 34 matches.

Iorfa was reappointed in March when Lobi Stars were second from bottom with a paltry 19 points from 19 matches, meaning they were sure candidates for relegation.