Chidi Okoronkwo, Chairman of City Football Club of Abuja, has challenged his players to raise their performance levels in the second round of the Nigeria National League (NNL).
He insists that promotion remains the club’s ultimate target for the 2025/2026 season.
Okoronkwo spoke on Wednesday night during the club’s maiden End-of-Year Celebration and Awards Night held in Abuja.
The event was organised to recognise outstanding performances and to motivate players and stakeholders ahead of the crucial second half of the season.
Coinciding with the Christmas period, it marked the first time an NNL club in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) organised a formal end-of-year celebration and awards ceremony.
“I never knew it would be this way. Today is Dec. 24, and tomorrow is Christmas, yet you all took out time to honour me and City FC.
“ This event is to encourage my boys, my wonderful boys. I call them my children because they make me happy every day,” he said.
According to him, he is emotionally attached to the club
The chairman recounted how a close friend once advised him to sell the club, an idea firmly rejected by his family.
He commended his team for their efforts in the first round of the NNL season, but said that their performance fell short of expectations.
“They have tried, but it is not enough for my liking. For me, football is about performance, not just results.
“ I want to see good football. This event is to motivate those who are not giving their best and to encourage those who have done well to do even better,” he said.
He said that the second round of the NNL season would be decisive, noting that the club had more home fixtures remaining after playing more away games than most teams in the first round.
“Our aim this season is to gain promotion, and we have the team to do it.
“Recall that the team went to Tanzania and won a tournament involving champions from different countries as the only second-division club.
“If we bring that same mentality into this league, nobody should come close to us,” the chairman said.
He also expressed his broader vision for football development in the Federal Capital Territory, stating that he hoped to make football a major cultural identity in Abuja.
“Sometimes I feel football is not as strong in Abuja as the vision I have for it. I want to do more to make people show real interest in football here.
“I believe very soon football will become one of the first languages in this city,” he said.
In spite of acknowledging the competitive nature of the NNL, the City FC chairman expressed confidence in the club’s prospects.
“I’m not worried about relegation , that is out of the question. My concern is promotion. We will keep pushing and see where we end at the end of the season,” he said.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of awards to individuals and groups who contributed to the club’s progress during the year.
Among the institutional honourees were Guardians of Fair Play Award: Nigeria Referees Association, FCT Chapter; and Guardians of Development Award: Nigeria Football Coaches Association, FCT Chapter.
Individual awards given include: Fan of the Year: Chinasa Ezekwueme; Most Consistent Player: Daniel Jacob; Fans’ Favourite: Sunday Dongs; Most Behaved Player: Sunday Oliseh
Most Impactful Player & Player of the Season (2025) was Joseph Donaltus; Most Promising Player: Simon Isek; and Clubman of the Year: Richard Yamouh.
Okoronkwo also urged players to enjoy the Christmas break responsibly while reflecting on their performances and preparing mentally for a strong second-round push.
“Christmas is not just for enjoyment.
“You must go and think, plan, and come back ready to achieve our goal,” he said.
