Akwa United’s head coach Paul Offor described his team’s failure to collect all three points against Godswill Akpabio United FC as unfortunate.
The draw at the Uyo Township Stadium on Sunday left the “Promise Keepers” with one point, despite a performance that Offor judged worthy of victory.
Currently, Akwa United sit fourth in the 2025-26 Nigeria National League (NNL) Conference B standings — accumulating seven points from four games.
Asked about the result, Offor did not mince words. He blamed inefficiency in front of goal for the dropped points. “This match is gone, and I’m focusing on my players. I’m impressed with their performance today. The result does not reflect our effort,” he told club media. “We played very well and created clear-cut chances, but it’s disappointing that we couldn’t take them. Our ball play is improving, and I commend my boys for fighting back to get something from the game.”
Still, the coach remains defiantly optimistic. He reaffirmed Akwa United’s ambition to secure promotion back to the top flight. “We are still on course for our target, which is promotion. I’m confident we will bounce back strongly in the remaining 14 games,” Offor added.
Editorial
There is a rare dignity in resilience and for Akwa United bruised by relegation but stirred by resolve this draw feels more like a heartbeat than a setback. In The Promise Keepers’ struggle lies a narrative not of despair, but of defiance properly built teams are seldom revealed overnight they emerge through labor, patience, and belief.
Offor’s squad did not merely show up they pressed forward, fashioned promising openings, carved lanes in rival defences. That they failed to convert should not overshadow the fact that the architecture of their play is evolving. What matters now is not the points lost but the lessons learned. Wasted chances sting. Yet they also reveal character in Offor’s calm assessment, in the players’ refusal to collapse under the weight of expectation, there is purpose.
History rarely honours premature optimism. But it rewards those who persist. Akwa United’s bid for return should not be judged solely by early missteps, but by their capacity to reacquire rhythm, sharpen focus, and show steel when it counts. Fourteenth games remain. That’s plenty of time. What matters now is discipline, hunger and a steady insistence that this is not the club’s full stop — only a comma.
Did You Know?
- Akwa United were relegated from the top tier at the end of the 2024–25 season, finishing 18th in the Nigeria Premier Football League.
- Only the team topping Conference B in the NNL will secure promotion this season — meaning the competition for the top spot is fierce and leaves little room for error.
- Prior to his appointment at Akwa United, Paul Offor successfully guided Sporting Lagos to promotion to the NPFL in the 2023/24 season.
- The club’s management under new chairman Joseph Eno has publicly committed to returning Akwa United to the NPFL, aligning with state expectations for the team’s swift recovery.
- In their opening match before the Godswill Akpabio United draw, Akwa United edged Abakaliki FC 1–0 to maintain a perfect start to the season, underlining early signs of stability and ambition.
