By Wale Mustapha
Abia Warriors striker Sunday Megwo believes the club’s derby victory over Heartland will provide a significant mental boost as they approach the business end of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
The ‘Umu Chineke’ side triumphed 1-0 over their rivals in the Matchday 30 fixture at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri on Sunday.
Adejoh Ojonugwa scored the only goal of the match, finding the net with nine minutes remaining to secure the win for the Umuahia-based club.
Megwo expressed confidence that the victory would energize the team in their pursuit of a top-three finish by the end of the season.
“I’m very happy with the way we performed throughout the game. It showed how mentally strong we are as a team,” Megwo said.
“This is a vital three points for us because it’s never easy to pick up a point away from home. To get the full three points here, especially playing with ten men, shows how strong we are as a team.”
He added, “This is a massive win for us, keeping our continental hopes alive and boosting our confidence. But we still have eight games left.
“We know that if we keep winning and getting positive results, we will have a clear chance of securing a spot in the continent next season.”
With the victory, Abia Warriors remain in third place on the NPFL table, with 47 points.
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.
