Super Eagles striker Sadiq Umar has opened up on his decision to become the owner of Ranchers Bees FC of Kaduna ahead of the new NNL season while targeting an immediate promotion to the NPFL.
Umar, alongside current House of Representatives member (Kaduna North), Hon. Bello El-Rufai, officially acquired Ranchers Bees FC, the historic Kaduna-based football club.
The team is set to compete in the Nigeria National League (NNL) in the upcoming season.
Ranchers Bees FC is a traditional name in Nigerian football history, having produced several former internationals and enjoyed a rich legacy in the Kaduna football scene.
Speaking on the acquisition on Tuesday, Umar expressed his excitement about reviving the club’s glory days.
He said, “I and my partner, Hon Bello, want to return the club to its old glory days. Growing up, I watched Ranchers Bees of Kaduna, a club that produced countless players. It’s a thing of pride and joy for us to be the bona fide owners of the club.”
The new owners have ambitious plans, with Ranchers Bees FC fielding both an academy team and a professional side for the NNL campaign.
He said, “Our target is to secure promotion to the NPFL. I’m elated by the feedback from Rancher Bees supporters and the people of Kaduna. We will bring back the old memories of the club and return the fans to the stadium.”
Ranchers Bees was a household name in the Nigerian football sphere in the 90s. Originally known as the DIC (Defence Industry Corp.) Bees, the club was bought by Alhadji Muktar Mohammed Aruwa in the 1980s and renamed “Ranchers Bees.”
The club gained promotion to the Nigeria Premier League in the 2008–09 season by finishing second in the NNL with 51 points.
In the 2009–10 season, they played some matches in Kano as their stadium was being prepared for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. They finished the season banished to Calabar and then Minna after fans attacked referees at a home game against Sunshine Stars F.C. They were relegated to the Nigeria National League with two games left after a 6–0 loss to Kwara United F.C.
The club won the West African Club Championship trophy in 1989.
