By Dayo Awoniyi
Abia Warriors’ debut campaign in the CAF Confederation Cup came to an end on Sunday following a 1-0 defeat to Djoliba AC in Bamako, sealing a 2-1 aggregate win for the Malian side.
After a spirited 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, the Nigerian representatives travelled to Mali with hopes of securing a historic qualification.
However, a second-half goal from Djoliba was enough to edge out the visitors and send them out of the competition.
Despite the loss, the Warriors put up a resilient performance against one of West Africa’s more seasoned clubs.
Djoliba, with decades of continental experience, capitalised on home advantage to maintain their unbeaten run and advance to the next round.
Abia Warriors, on the other hand, exit the tournament with heads held high, having shown promise and determination in their first-ever continental outing.
The Umuahia-based side will now shift focus back to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), where they will look to build on the experience gained and push for future qualification to CAF competitions.
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.
