By Wale Mustapha
Surprise finalists of the 2025 President Federation Cup, Abakaliki FC, have confirmed their participation in the 2025/26 Nigeria National League (NNL) season after securing a promotion slot from Hammola FC.
Despite being relegated to the Nationwide League One (NLO) following a disappointing campaign last season, the Ebonyi State-based club will now remain in Nigeria’s second-tier football division through the approved slot swap arrangement.
“Abakaliki FC’s NNL status has just been confirmed for the 2025–26 season,” the club’s media officer, Chukwuma Ogbonna, told Daily Post.
“It is certain we will participate in the NNL next season, and we hope to do better than last season.”
Nicknamed the Rice Boys, Abakaliki FC made national headlines with a Cinderella run in the 2025 President Federation Cup, reaching the final before narrowly losing 4–3 on penalties to Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side Kwara United.
The club’s reinstatement into the NNL provides a fresh opportunity to rebuild after a rollercoaster campaign that saw them shine in the cup but falter in league play.
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.
