By Wale Mustapha
Abia Warriors head coach, Imama Amapakabo, has cited technical deficiencies within his squad as the key reason behind their 2-0 defeat to Enugu Rangers on Wednesday in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday Six encounter.
The match, held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, saw the ‘Flying Antelopes’ secure all three points courtesy of first-half goals from Iwundu Chidozie and Godwin Obaje.
The defeat leaves Abia Warriors with more questions than answers, while Rangers climbed to fifth place on the NPFL table with 11 points from seven matches.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Amapakabo admitted his team struggled with technical execution, especially in the opening half.
“One of the players was a bit slow, but technical mistakes cannot be referred to as tactical mistakes — they are two different things,” he said.
“Rangers didn’t create any real chances, but they scored. If we want our league to grow, we need to address the time-wasting antics by home teams — hiding the ball when leading. It’s bad for the NPFL.”
Despite an improved second-half showing from his side, Amapakabo lamented a lack of game rhythm and accused the hosts of deliberately disrupting play.
Abia Warriors will now turn their focus to Sunday’s Matchday Eight clash away to Nasarawa United in Lafia, where they will be looking to bounce back.
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.
