By Wale Mustapha
Coach Mohammed Magin of Niger Tornadoes has downplayed his team’s 1-1 draw against Plateau United, urging calm and insisting the result is not indicative of a decline in the team’s quality.
The match saw the Ikon Allah Boys take a 1-0 lead in the second half, with Papa Daniel scoring from the edge of the box.
However, a late equalizer from Plateau United’s Samuel Kalu saw the points shared.
Magin acknowledged that the equalizer was a result of a lapse in concentration from his defenders in the dying minutes of the match.
Despite the disappointment, the coach remained optimistic about the future, emphasizing that the result is just a temporary setback and that the team remains on course for success.
“The result is a temporary setback for us, knowing well that we beat them in Jos in the first stanza of the season,” Magin said.
“In the first half, we didn’t put our house in order, but we came back in the second half and got the goal.
“Unfortunately, we failed to manage the situation well in the dying minutes. We lost concentration and conceded the goal, but I believe we are not doing badly.”
The draw has seen Niger Tornadoes drop to ninth in the NPFL standings with 31 points from 23 games, but Magin remains confident that the team can bounce back and continue striving for greatness.
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.
