S P R T Ex Arsenal Coach Marcello carpets Mountain of Fire Church hierarchy over MFM disbandment

By Amaechi Agbo

Former coach of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Football Club of Lagos, Marcello Anyanwu has frowned at the authorities of the owners of the club, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Church for disbandment of the club.

The MFM FC was relegated from the Nigeria topflight league, Nigeria Premier Football League NPFL last season and wete to begin life at the lower league, Nigeria National League, NNL this season.

But the church decided to sell the club’s NNL slot and returned the club to its former owner, Toyin Gafaar’s Bolowatan, a decision that did not go down well with Mr Marcello

Speaking to our correspondence over the church’s decision from his base in United Arab Emirate, the Head Scout of Gulf United Football Club, Dubai 2nd division league, described the decision as an unfortunate one.

“MFM was established for evangelism and youth empowerment. And engaging in and sponsorship of a football club to play in the highest Nigeria football league was one of the ways the church has empowered the youths and contributed to the development of football in the country.

“It’s true that the club has been struggling for the past two seasons in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL which lead to its relegation to the lower league last season. But this shouldn’t have warranted throwing away the baby with the bathing water,” he started.

The former Nigeria Football Federation Presidential aspirant is of the opinion that what the club needs is restructuring and not outright disbandment.

“What is needed at this point in time is restructuring. Every club, like any organisation, experiences its worst moment at a time. But instead of winding up such enterprise, the owners rather would look inward to find a solution to their problems. I had expected the church authority to have put on their thinking cap and fixes whatever are the problems with the team.

“The church authority has enough resources, material and human, to resuscitate the fortunes of the club and and restore its past glory,” the former Arsenal youth team trainer said.

The ‘Olukoya Boys ‘was wholly owned by Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, a Pentecostal Christian organization which came into existence in 2007.

In 2013, MFM participated in the Nigeria National League after they took over Toyin Gafaar’s Bolowatan FC’s slot for free.

MFM then made their debut in the Nigeria Professional Football League in 2016 and as newcomers, they narrowly escaped relegation.

The following season, they finished in the second position and qualified for the 2018 CAF Champions League, a record feat achieved in relative time.

In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, they finished 14th and 10th respectively.

However, after six years of top flight football, MFM were relegated from the

NPFL in 2022 and were to begin a new life in the NNL alongside Kano Pillars, Katsina United and Heartland FC.

But ahead of the 2022/23 abridged NNL season scheduled to kickoff on March 3, MFM as a church has decided to discontinue funding the club and returned it to the owner who gave them the slot for free over a decade ago.

Meanwhile, Henserd FC of Sagbama, Bayelsa State will replace MFM ahead the 2022/2023 NNL season after the former bought over the latter’s slot in the league.