By Wale Mustapha
Warri Wolves head coach Napoleon Aluma has attributed his team’s resurgence at the ongoing Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 playoffs to unity and renewed self-belief within the squad.
The Seasiders bounced back from an opening-day defeat to Osun United with an emphatic 3–0 win over Kun Khalifat on Monday in Asaba — their first victory of the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Aluma revealed that the loss to the Omoluabi Giants served as a wake-up call for his team.
“Self-belief and unity among us were the motivating factors,” Aluma said.
“We went unbeaten in the regular season, and after that first loss, we had to look inward, correct our mistakes, and reignite the spirit. This performance shows our response.”
The veteran coach also expressed optimism ahead of their final group match against Crown FC, noting that qualification for the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) remains firmly within reach.
The top two teams from both the Northern and Southern Conferences will gain promotion to the NPFL at the conclusion of the round-robin stage of the Super 8.
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.
