By Dayo Awoniyi
Abia Warriors head coach Imama Amapakabo remains confident in his team’s ability to secure a continental spot this season despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to local rivals Enyimba International in a hard-fought derby.
With 50 points and six matches remaining, Abia Warriors are still well within reach of qualifying for continental competition.
Amapakabo, who guided Rangers to the NPFL title in the 2015/2016 season, is optimistic that his side can still achieve their goal despite the setback.
“Every team has a chance to qualify for the continent,” Amapakabo stated after the game.
“Before this match, we had 21 points to fight for. Now we’ve got 18 left. We already have 50 points. Every team can dream.”
The coach emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and hard work in the final stretch of the season, saying, “We’ll keep working hard and pushing. Let’s see where these final 18 points take us by the end of the season.”
Currently sitting in third place on the NPFL standings, Abia Warriors are in a strong position to secure one of the coveted continental spots.
Despite the loss to Enyimba, Amapakabo’s resilience and determination show that his team is still very much in the hunt for a place in next season’s continental competitions.
As the season nears its conclusion, Abia Warriors will look to build on their strong performance so far and take advantage of the remaining fixtures to reach their continental ambitions.
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.
