By Dayo Awoniyi
Katsina United FC has directed its players to report for pre-season activities on Sunday, July 6, 2025, as preparations begin for the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) campaign.
In an official statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youths Development, Muhammad Rabiu Muhammad, full training is scheduled to commence on Monday, July 7.
The club, which finished 14th in last season’s NPFL standings, has retained 23 players from the previous squad while extending invitations to 12 new players as part of efforts to bolster the team ahead of the new season.
Coaching and backroom staff are also expected to resume duties on the same date as the players.
Katsina United expressed optimism for an improved performance in the upcoming season and wished all returning personnel safe travels.
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.
