The Office of Sports Development has announced the appointment of Coach Sabo Abu Okala as the new Head Coach of Ekiti Queens FC ahead of the upcoming Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership season.
Coach Okala joins the Baoress Babes with a rich pedigree in both playing and coaching. During his illustrious playing career, he featured for notable clubs including Sheraton FC, Water Resources FC, FCDA FC, BCC Lions, Niger Tornadoes, Al Wakrah Sports Club of Qatar and Gabros FC before transitioning into coaching.
As a coach, Okala has managed Tiyu Academy, Fosac Academy, Kogi United Feeders, Confluence Queens, Honey Badgers and Naija Ratels FC. His coaching résumé includes leading teams to the NWFL Premiership Super Six, securing promotion to the Nigeria National League, and finishing as runner-up in the Nigerian Women’s League.
A certified coach with qualifications from the National Institute for Sports (NIS) and the UEFA Open Fun Football programme, Okala is expected to bring his vast experience in player development, tactical excellence and team management to strengthen Ekiti Queens FC as the club prepares for the new campaign.
The management of Ekiti Queens FC has expressed confidence in the new coach’s ability to lead the team to greater heights and has warmly welcomed him to the club, wishing him a successful and rewarding tenure with the Baoress Babes.
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.
