By Wale Mustapha
Nasarawa United head coach, Salisu Yusuf, has praised his team’s resilience following a tense 3-2 victory over Plateau United in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 33 clash on Sunday in Lafia.
The Solid Miners overcame a late surge from their North Central rivals to secure a crucial win, boosting their survival hopes as the season nears its conclusion.
Speaking after the match, Yusuf commended his players for their determination and gradual adaptation to his tactical philosophy.
“We are happy for the win. We worked so hard to make sure we won the game,” Yusuf told the club’s media.
“I am really happy with the boys. They have done so well. They are imprinting all we teach them in our training sessions, and I believe they are adapting quickly.”
Yusuf acknowledged the team’s lapse in concentration late in the game but remained optimistic about the team’s progress.
“I am not surprised that we scored three goals in this game, even though we lost momentary concentration toward the latter stages, which is dangerous and made us labor till the end. But this is football—it happens sometimes,” he added.
With the win, Nasarawa United move up to 14th on the NPFL table with 42 points from 33 matches.
The Lafia-based side will next face Bayelsa United on Wednesday in Anyingba in the Round of 16 of the 2025 President Federation Cup, before returning to league action against Insurance FC.
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.
