We would like to wish all of Wonderxchange a Happy New Year and thank you for your support for the Club, and for us, in the last difficult year.

2022 is one few of us will look back on with any fondness, as it has been tough for almost everyone. We have all grappled with the after-effects of Covid, the surging inflation and the current cost of living crisis, which has pushed millions of Nigerians into poverty. All of these combine to make it a very tough environment for football clubs and fans alike.

So, your continued support has been particularly appreciated, especially as we have been frustratingly inconsistent on the pitch at crucial moments. We go into the new year with much work to do.

We are working to have a young team this season, not just because of budget but because we are aiming to become a club that develops and sells talented players as part of a long-term sustainability model. A lot of patience will be required as a result of rebuilding the squad, but we are still expecting to compete for promotion this year. This task has been made more challenging with the current release of players from the squad based on discipline and inability which has resulted in an unbalanced squad. We are hoping to be able to recruit enough players to fill the gaps available in the squad during the forthcoming trials. We also hope they have enough time to work together before the league begins.

Despite all the difficulties we have experienced this year, there are many things to be positive about:

Developing players:

• Whilst there have been issues with the balance and discipline of the squad, we have recruited and developed some exciting players who are likely to be assets for the Club in the future.
• We earned a friendly against NNL opposition Bendel Insurance who got promoted to the Premier League in 2022, and we gave a stellar account of ourselves in that game in Benin city, Edo State.
• We once again earned a friendly against Nigerian Premier League opposition, Sunshine Stars, and won the match 2-1 showing what our squad is capable of. Also we were the only team to defeat the state team during their preseason preparations in which they played a high number of matches.

Experience:

• Having worked closely with Pearl Interiors, planning has been secured for the first WXFC Press Conference and all of the planning conditions have been met, meaning orders have now been placed for the structure and the work should be ready for the new season.
• We have invented a gallery wall in the Clubhouse not just for decoration but to give the clubhouse a creative focal point, interest and an eclectic character every time, any time.

Generating income streams:

• We have welcomed around 6000 plus visitors to our website/media at the club.
• We are rebranding the club and opening the club shop. This will generate revenue on its own and enable us to launch our first merchandise sale later in the year.
• We have developed different tiers of sponsorship suitable for any kind of sponsor. This is a vital strategic project for the club.

We know that many of you will not be particularly interested in some of the work that is going on whilst our playing performances are so inconsistent, but the reality is that it is these revenue streams that will generate the ongoing income, year on year, that should enable us to have a competitive budget every season.

Community:

As well as continuing our regular programme of recruiting and nurturing young talented individuals, we hope to be able to support the most vulnerable members of the community through difficult times.

The work we do in the community is a significant source of pride for us, and we believe we could do better for our fans and for many other people.

One thing we have not progressed on since the start of the year is the brand-new merchandise project. The feasibility study was put on ice for most of the past year, mainly due to a lack of bandwidth to push things forward as we deal with all of the day-to-day challenges of running a club through a global cost of living crisis. As and when the feasibility study gets finalized, we will engage fully with fans and supporters. For now, though, there is nothing further to say as the feasibility study has not yet been concluded.

In the end, whatever we do is viewed through the prism of how we perform on the pitch, and we won’t try to disguise the fact that low-table is not what we wanted last season, but back-to-back wins over the last few games meant we ended the season on a high, and with trials coming up in a few weeks, we have everything to play for this campaign.

As we look forward to 2023 we will look to strengthen the squad where we can, and we will progress some of our major projects, including the invention of the conference room and the introduction of merchandise sales.

We thank you for all your support and wish you a Happy New Year. Here’s to 2023 which we believe is a year that we should look forward to, stronger, together.