Nasarawa United Boss Says Draw Against Plateau United Was Well-Earned

Nasarawa United head coach Mbwas Mangut has expressed satisfaction with his team’s 0–0 draw against Plateau United in their NPFL clash at the New Jos Stadium on Sunday. The result maintained Nasarawa’s position at the top of the league table, giving them 31 points from 17 games.

Mangut said his side “deserved a share of the spoils”, stressing that each game is approached with the aim of securing maximum points regardless of venue. He acknowledged that Plateau United, playing at home and eager to return to winning ways, posed a real threat after their recent loss, but insisted his team executed their game plan well overall.

While Mangut stated a draw wasn’t the ideal outcome, he suggested that getting a point away from home in difficult conditions was “not a bad result” and credited his players for their discipline. He described Plateau United as a capable side undergoing transition, adding that they are confident about improving in future matches.

Looking ahead, Mangut reiterated Nasarawa’s focus on “one game at a time” making it clear that the team’s priority remains staying in strong title contention.

Editorial

In football’s intricate dance between ambition and reality, some results demand appraisal beyond the crude binary of win and loss. Nasarawa United’s stalemate with Plateau United a goalless draw that kept them atop the Nigeria Premier Football League is such a moment. It was not a triumph, but nor was it a setback it was, in its own way, a statement of resilience.

Head coach Mbwas Mangut’s measured reaction encapsulated this truth. In a league where the difference between success and struggle can hinge on slender margins, a point on the road particularly in a venue where history has not favoured the visitors carries value. Mangut’s satisfaction was not born from complacency but from contextual insight recognizing Plateau United’s desire to rebound and acknowledging that his own side executed a plan under pressure.

Football is, at its best, an evolving narrative. Nasarawa United entered the fixture as league leaders, a position earned through tactical discipline and consistency. Yet, to sustain such form you must often absorb intensity, calm the tempo and defend collective purpose as much as press for goals. In the frenetic push of a full NPFL season, such pragmatic results are foundational to long-term ambition.

Mangut’s insistence on approaching the league “one game at a time” resonates because it underscores a deeper awareness titles are not won in single matches but in the accumulation of disciplined choices and responses to challenge. The point earned in Jos does not dazzle, but it does sustain momentum, and in a title chase, that can prove as potent as a win.

Did You Know?

1. Nasarawa United have yet to win in Jos against Plateau United in several previous NPFL encounters, making draws and narrow results particularly meaningful for them.
2. Plateau United hold the historical edge in head to head matches, having won more encounters than Nasarawa United overall.
3. Anas Yusuf, Nasarawa United’s prolific forward, was the NPFL Golden Boot winner in the 2024–25 season, scoring 18 goals.
4. The 2025–26 NPFL season — in which this draw occurred has featured fierce competition at the top of the table with no single dominant force so far.
5. Nasarawa United maintained top spot on the league table after this draw, a testament to their consistency this season.