The Technical Adviser of Sokoto United Football Club, Houandinou Valera Revelino, has failed to get his contract renewed as he could not lead the team to the Premier League as promised.
The coach was appointed in 2019 for a period of two Nigeria National League (NNL) league seasons.
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According to the terms of his contract, he would lead the team to the Premier League and win the Challenge cup but none of these was achieved in the last two seasons.
Confirming the development, the Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Bashir Gorou, said that the technical adviser was too old to lead the team to victories.
“We refused to renew his contract because of old age. He does not have the energy to lead the team well,” he said.
Another reason, he said was the poor outings of the team in the just concluded national league and challenge cup.
“He was contracted on the condition that he would promote the team to the Premier League and also win a challenge cup which he failed to do so,” he said.
Daily Trust learnt that the coach had made frantic efforts to get the contract renewed to no avail.
It was learnt that the 1-1 draw with the Gombe United at home last Sunday was the final stray that broke the camel’s back.
Gorou noted that the whole team would be rejuvenated by recruiting more talented players and relieving those considered unfit to be in the team of their job.
The Technical Consultant to the team, Isma’il Abubakar, had told Daily Trust during the unveiling of Revelino as the new technical adviser that he had all it takes to lead the club to the premier league.
“He was part of the technical crew of Steven Keshi that won the African Nations Cup in South Africa in 2013 and led Nigeria to the second round of FIFA world cup in Brazil as well as the chief coach of Beninous under 20 team,” he said.
Abubakar commended the state government for giving the coaching crew a free hand to recruit their players without any form of interference.
‘I can still do it’
On his part, Revelino argued that, with the continuous support of the state government, he could lead the team to the premier league next season.
“We are not after financial gain because that will come when we start winning trophies,” he said.
