The head coach of Kwara United, Kabiru Dogo has blamed his team’s poor form this season on the team’s inability to play their home games in the state capital, Ilorin.
So far this season, Kwara United have used three different stadiums as their home ground. This is so because their traditional home ground, Ilorin Township Stadium is undergoing renovation after the team qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round.
The chairman of Kwara United, Kumbi Titiloye, has revealed that the ongoing renovation work at the stadium is in an advanced stage and the team would return to the stadium ahead of next season.
Recall that Kwara United’s preseason games were previously held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos. After that, they moved to the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure for the first stanza of the Nigeria Professional Football League abridged 2022-2023 season. While in the second stanza, they moved to Ibadan’s Lekan Salami Stadium.
The team played four home games in Ibadan, winning only one and drawing the other three. Their poor form followed them to Akure as they were defeated by 3SC and Enyimba in back-to-back home losses.
The team’s terrible form has dropped them to seventh place in Group A with 13 points after 15 games, three points above the relegation zone.
After the team’s 3-1 loss to Akwa United on Monday in Uyo, Dogo expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance but pointed to the team’s dismal home record as the primary reason for their precarious situation.
“Not playing at home is our number one problem. The most important thing for us now is to manage and survive. It’s a tough league and not playing at home makes it more difficult. Look at other clubs in the same situation as well, Nasarawa United, Rangers, all big teams struggling due to not playing at home,” the coach said.
“I believe we will get it right, manage and finish well, then we can plan for another season”.
