By Wale Mustapha
Head coach of Wikki Tourists, Abdu Maikaba, has assured fans that the team will overcome its early struggles in the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season and bounce back stronger in the coming weeks.
The Bauchi-based side continued their winless streak on Matchday Six, settling for a frustrating 2-2 draw against Enugu Rangers at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium last Sunday.
The result marked their third consecutive game without a victory, further denting their position on the league table.
Wikki had twice led in the encounter before conceding late, a situation Maikaba admitted was unacceptable.
“It’s not okay to drop points from winning positions, especially twice as we did against Rangers,” Maikaba told the club’s media team.
“But this is football, you win some, lose some, and draw some. We’ve identified some of our shortcomings, and I promise you that we’ll correct our mistakes.”
Maikaba, who previously managed Akwa United and Plateau United, remains optimistic ahead of their next fixture away to reigning champions Remo Stars this weekend.
Despite the underwhelming results, Wikki Tourists currently sit 7th on the NPFL table with 8 points from six matches.
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.
