By Wale Mustapha
Abia Warriors head coach, Imama Amapakabo, has called on his players to maintain their recent run of good form as they prepare to face Shooting Stars in a Matchday 9 fixture of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on Sunday.
The Umuahia-based side, known as the Umu Chineke Boys, are unbeaten in the league since their early exit from the CAF Confederation Cup and have secured three consecutive wins heading into this weekend’s clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, in Ibadan.
Speaking after the team’s final training session on Saturday, Amapakabo challenged his squad to remain focused and build on their recent momentum.
“We can only be tagged as failures if by May, when the league ends, we’re unable to get back to the level we were last season,” the coach said in a message to his players, as shared by the club’s media team.
“Most importantly, we must build on the experience of our first-ever continental campaign.”
Abia Warriors enjoyed a historic 2023/24 season, finishing third in the NPFL and qualifying for continental football for the first time in the club’s history.
Now looking to improve on that achievement, Amapakabo’s men are aiming to continue their climb up the table with another strong performance against Shooting Stars.
Sunday’s encounter promises to be a keenly contested affair, with both sides eyeing maximum points to strengthen their positions in the early-season standings.
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.
