By Wale Mustapha
Nasarawa United’s Technical Adviser, Kabir Dogo, has stressed the importance of securing all three points in Saturday’s Lafia derby against Lobi Stars.
Both teams are currently using the Lafia Township Stadium for their home fixtures in the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, making the encounter a highly anticipated local rivalry.
With the match set for Matchday 16, Dogo’s side, the natural owner of the stadium, are determined to capitalize on their home advantage.
A victory in this derby would lift Nasarawa United out of the relegation zone, making it a crucial fixture for the team.
“This is a must-win game for us after a series of disappointing results,” Dogo stated.
“We need to be at our best and take advantage of the home crowd to get the three points, which will see us climbing out of the red zone.”
Dogo acknowledged the difficulty of the match but remained confident.
“It’s going to be a tough match, no doubt, but we are ready for the challenge,” he added in an interview with Nasarawa United’s media team.
“We have been working hard in training, and we are confident that we can get a decent result.”
With both teams eager to make a statement, the Lafia derby promises to be an exciting encounter as Nasarawa United look to move up the NPFL standings.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
