By Wale Mustapha
Elkanemi Warriors’ Technical Adviser, Aliyu Zubairu, expressed dissatisfaction with his side’s performance, despite overseeing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nasarawa United in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 23 clash on Saturday.
The game, played in Maiduguri, was a closely contested affair, with Nasarawa United dominating possession for much of the match.
However, they were unable to break down the resilient Elkanemi Warriors defense, which ultimately secured the narrow win.
A relieved Zubairu, though pleased with the three points, made it clear that his team needs to show more dominance in future fixtures to meet their season’s objectives.
“It was a must-win match, but we still have work to do despite the victory,” Zubairu stated after the game.
“We will make some tactical and technical adjustments to strengthen our game as we move forward.”
The win propelled Elkanemi Warriors to sixth place on the NPFL standings, with 35 points from 22 matches.
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.
