By Wale Mustapha
Head Coach of Crown FC, Deji Ayeni, has described his team’s journey to the Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 playoffs as challenging but commendable, despite falling short of promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
Crown FC, known as the Ajileye Valiant, secured a second-place finish in their group during the NNL regular season, earning a spot in the promotion playoffs.
However, the Ogbomoso-based side struggled at the tournament, managing just one draw and suffering two defeats in three matches.
Speaking to Oyo State News, Ayeni expressed disappointment over the outcome but praised his players for their determination throughout the campaign.
“We started the season with a purpose—to qualify for the Super 8, and we came here for the ticket to the Premier League, but that wasn’t achieved,” Ayeni said.
“Our overall performance has been wonderful, and I want to congratulate everyone who started this journey from day one.”
He acknowledged the difficult path the team faced, saying: “The journey was tough, but we were able to survive the hurdles to get to this stage.”
Crown FC will now look to regroup ahead of the next NNL season as they continue their push for top-flight football.
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.
