BCC Lions Football Club History
Benue Cement Company (BCC) Lions Football Club is one of the top Nigerian football club based in Gboko, Benue State Nigeria. They played in Nigeria Amateur League of which they were one of the major team in the league. The club makes use of J.S. Tarka Stadium Gboko, Nigeria where they play their home games and have their soccer training.
The club was founded in the year 1982 by the owner of Benue Cement Company Plc, Gboko by name Mr Aliko Dangote who is the current chairman of the club also followed by the Manager Mr Andrew Agu who sees to the existence and smooth running of the club.
BCC Lions Football Club of Gboko has recorded so many achievements since they came into history as they were the first club in the northern part of Nigeria to win the Challenge Cup in 1989 of which they beat Iwanyanwu Nationale 1-0 in the finals at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Stadium Bauchi.
Following that they also won the cup on three different occasions in 1993, 1994 and 1997. Prior to that; they also came out the champion in the African Cup Winners Cup in the year 1990 and in the Nigerian Premier League Title in the year 1994 as well.
The club has also produced skilful players who not only the club but also the state and the nation at large can proudly boast such as Sam Adingi, Dominic Lorfa, Moses Kparko, Felix Pilakyaa, Bolaji Doughlas, Aham Nwanko, Imadu Dooryum and so many others.
BCC Lions Football Club in terms of administration has produced a great and reputable manager known as Dominick Lorfa who zealously managed Lobi Stars Football Club Makurdi and added to the success and promotion of the club for many years both within Nigeria and across the globe.
The club encountered some knockout when they lost to Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan with two points in the Nigerian Premier League in the year 1998. Since then the club has not been able to regain their lost glory.
Their fans and financial support began to drop after spending six years in the lower division despite an attempt to revive the club in the year 2002 by the then administration of Benue state Governor Dr George Akume with the sum of 2.5 million naira which failed, another attempt was also made by Guilder Brewing Plc to revive the football club with the sum of 1 million which still failed as before.
Because of this and many other reasons, the football literally had no team as its proposed team or football players had already broken up and gone their separate ways. In the year 2004, the team didn’t make an appearance in their match fixture with Shooting Stars F.C. during the FA Cup as they were already disbanded.
Then in 2008, the month of September the board chairman of BCC Lions in the person of Aliko Dangote signed the club with the sum of 110 million Naira so that the team can take part in the 2008/2009 league season which brought their ill fate to an end but only temporary as they were still relegated or lowered in rank after finishing 13th in that year’s league.
