By Wale Mustapha
Plateau United Technical Adviser Mbwas Magnut has commended his players for their resilience and improved performances during what he described as a “complicated” 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
The Peace Boys endured a difficult start to the campaign, compounded by a points deduction resulting from fan unrest during home fixtures.
In addition to the disciplinary sanctions, the club was also forced to play behind closed doors, a setback Magnut believes impacted the players’ morale and performance.
“This team is improving. The season has been very complicated, and the players have had to endure a tough run of games, which could explain the early inconsistencies,” Magnut told Plateau United Media.
“The points deduction, playing at home without full support from our fans—all of this affected the boys.”
Despite the challenges, Plateau United have found form in recent weeks, stabilizing their position in the league. At one stage, the team went five matches unbeaten, a run that Magnut credits as crucial to their mid-table recovery.
“It takes a lot of courage for a player to stand firm and express himself. That’s the mark of great teams. In a few years, you’ll see these same players achieving even more,” he added.
Plateau United currently sit 11th on the NPFL table with 42 points from 34 matches. They will host Insurance FC on Sunday in their Matchday 35 encounter in Jos, as they look to end the season on a strong note.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
