Kun Khalifat Part Ways With Osigwe, Recall Uzoho

Kun Khalifat FC, the newly promoted Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side from Owerri, have announced a managerial change after a disappointing 1–0 home defeat to Abia Warriors in their Matchday 17 fixture. Long-serving head coach Emmanuel Osigwe has stepped down from his role, and the club has recalled Obinna Uzoho who previously led the team through their promotion campaigns to take charge of the technical department.

Osigwe confirmed his departure, saying, “I’m no longer with Kun Khalifat FC”, and thanked the club’s owner Michael Amaefule for the opportunity to serve the side. Uzoho, who was earlier relieved of his duties after a home draw with Nasarawa United, returns to lead the Pride of Imolites as they seek improved results in the NPFL.

The reshuffle also involves former striker Henry Ezeonye leaving the club to join Barau FC in Kano, while other players such as Victor Ebuka and Uche Moses have also exited during the mid-season transfer window. Kun Khalifat are expected to unveil new signings in the coming days as part of a broader squad reshaping.

Editorial

In football, the line between survival and struggle is often drawn not just in goals scored, but in the courage of difficult decisions. Kun Khalifat’s recent managerial switch  with Emmanuel Osigwe stepping aside and Obinna Uzoho returning is emblematic of a club grappling with the unrelenting demands of top-flight competition. This is not simply a change of personnel it is an acknowledgment that in the NPFL’s unforgiving terrain, belief must be matched by both clarity and continuity.

Osigwe’s tenure, albeit brief, was one born of necessity. Thrust into leadership during a turbulent phase, the veteran coach brought experience and earnest intent. Yet the results  including the narrow loss to Abia Warriors highlighted the fragile balance between aspiration and execution in Nigeria’s elite division. To step down is not an admission of failure so much as a recognition that football’s relentless calendar often demands fresh impetus.

Uzoho’s recall, then, is more than nostalgic or sentimental. It is a strategic realignment a return to familiarity in hope of stabilization. He presided over Kun Khalifat’s rise through the Nationwide and National leagues, carving pathways to promotion and imprinting a tactical identity on the team. That same leadership is now requisitioned in the face of the NPFL’s stern tests. In him lies a blend of institutional memory and motivational authority qualities that can galvanise players and restore coherence.

Yet managerial ingenuity alone cannot suffice. Kun Khalifat’s broader challenge reflected in multiple departures and squad reshaping is an organisational one. Success in the NPFL is rarely instantaneous it is often the product of patience, recruitment acumen and a shared belief system that extends from the boardroom to the training pitch. The club’s willingness to reset reflects ambition, but also the rigour that top-flight competition necessitates.

In this episode, what stands out is not merely the switch of coaches, but the narrative of adaptation. Football’s demands are unyielding, and only those willing to embrace evolution even mid-season can hope to find equilibrium. For Kun Khalifat, Uzoho’s return marks the end of one chapter and the start of another a renewed effort to harmonise talent with tactical clarity, and aspiration with tangible results.

Did You Know?

1. Obinna Uzoho previously guided Kun Khalifat through both the Nigeria Nationwide League (NLO) and the Nigeria National League (NNL) to secure promotion to the NPFL.
2. Kun Khalifat sacked their entire coaching crew and management team earlier in the season after a home draw with Nasarawa United, prompting a major structural overhaul.
3. Emmanuel Osigwe a former Nigerian international — was appointed head coach in late November 2025 after Uzoho’s initial departure.
4. The club’s leading striker, Henry Ezeonye, has left Kun Khalifat to join Barau FC in Kano during the mid-season window.
5. Kun Khalifat FC offered free entry to their remaining home games earlier in the season in a bid to boost fan support and atmosphere at their fixtures.