By Wale Mustapha
Nasarawa United head coach Mbwas Mangut has attributed his side’s 2–0 defeat to Ikorodu City to the opposition’s pace and mobility, which he said proved too difficult to contain in their NPFL Matchday 9 clash in Lagos.
The loss at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Sunday brought an end to the Solid Miners’ impressive seven-match unbeaten streak and marked their first defeat in over a month.
“We met a highly mobile side who took advantage of their chances,” Mangut told the club’s media after the game. “Like I always say, the league is a marathon. It will definitely come with some ups and downs, and today is one of those unfortunate days where we couldn’t secure points.”
Despite the setback, Mangut remained calm and optimistic, reiterating his belief in the team’s form and ability to bounce back quickly.
“We are not under any pressure. We have given our supporters and fans a level of confidence over the past six or seven games, so expectations were high. But we’ll regroup and return to winning ways going forward,” he added.
Nasarawa United still sit atop the Nigeria Premier Football League table with 19 points from nine matches. They next face Rivers United away in Port Harcourt, where Mangut will look to inspire a swift response from his players.
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.
