Nigeria Leagues
Unification Ladies: Oluwatobi Oyekan reflects on NWFL Championship’s Influence
Oluwatobi Oyekan, the technical adviser for Unification Ladies, has provided insight into his team’s compelling debut in the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship.
Reflecting on their first season in the second tier of Nigerian women’s football, Oyekan praised his squad for their resilience and determination throughout the campaign. Despite facing challenges, the team demonstrated notable progress and potential.
Oyekan highlighted that the team’s sole loss to Ibom Angels played a crucial role in building their confidence and addressing areas for improvement.
“It’s been exciting. We have a lot of positives to take back home and a lot of things to work on,” Oyekan told Nigeriafootball.ng in an exclusive interview.
“To be honest, we have done well because finishing on a high note behind the group winners is something we can hold on to. We will prepare and be better in subsequent seasons.”
The defeat to Ibom Angels, while painful, was viewed as a valuable learning experience. “The game we lost was one of the most painful because we played better. I would still say it’s one of our best games in the NWFL Championship. It’s one of those things you have to work on as debutants,” Oyekan reflected.
He noted that the loss provided a catalyst for improvement, leading to an impressive performance in their subsequent matches. “From the loss, we were able to regroup and deliver strong performances. Today’s game saw us score the most goals because we worked on our lapses following the defeat,” he added.
Oyekan also acknowledged the high caliber of the teams they faced, including Delta Babes, who have more experience in the competition. “It’s a good performance considering the caliber of teams we played against. Facing teams like Delta Babes, who have been in the competition before us, and playing a derby, presented its own challenges. Playing a foe in a different state on neutral ground is always difficult,” he said.
Unification Ladies’ debut season in the NWFL Championship has been marked by growth and learning, setting a positive foundation for future campaigns.
