Wikki Tourists captain and right-back, Mustapha Ibrahim, has said he is the happiest man on earth as his side survived the drop in the recently-concluded 2016-17 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
The Bauchi Elephants achieved the mark with a 2-0 win against hosts, Gombe United in their last top-flight matchday 38 make-up clash at the El Kanemi Warriors Stadium in Maiduguri.
The Bauchi landlords led 1-0 against Gombe United 1-0 on the final match in Gombe before a crowd invasion affected the clash, but it was striker Abubakar Lawal that secured victory for the side at the resumed completion of the clash in Maiduguri.
Ibrahim said the Gombe landlords were lucky to have left the Maiduguri pitch with a reduced score line.
“I’m happy more than anybody else that the team did not go down on relegation in my own time as captain of the side.
“We thank God that Wikki Tourists shamed their critics by surviving relegation in the out-gone top-flight.
“We are all elated staying or keeping our place in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) despite daunting challenges we faced in the course of the season’s campaign.
“Although we won the encounter with two unreplied goals I can say comfortably that Gombe United were damn lucky leaving the pitch on very reduced goal margin.
“We dominated the game from start to finish hitting the woodwork for more than four, five times.
“We are supposed to have won the match with at least four, five goals as Gombe United offered the least challenge.
“We are however happy that the battle has been won and the three points needed to secure our stay in the top-flight was achieved,” said the former Nigerian junior international.
The hard-fought victory helped the Bauchi side to respectfully finish the season’s campaign in 14th position on 53 points from 38 matches.
