Abia Warriors head coach Imama Amapakabo has expressed frustration with his team’s costly mistakes after their 2–0 defeat to Katsina United in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 24 fixture at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.
The Warriors fell behind in the 57th minute when Uche Collins gave Katsina United the lead, and the home side doubled their advantage just three minutes later after a miskick by the Warriors’ goalkeeper led to Azeez Falolu setting up the second.
Amapakabo lamented that technical errors rather than tactical issues were to blame, noting that out of the five goals his team had conceded in their last three games, only one was genuinely unavoidable. He described the goals as “schoolboy errors” that the team must correct.
Despite an improved second-half display and chances created after tactical substitutions, Abia Warriors were unable to find the net. The loss extended their winless streak to three matches, with their next game against Enugu Rangers in Matchday 25’s Oriental derby.
Amapakabo insisted that the league title race was still open and that with 42 points still available, his side could recover their momentum.
Editorial
In the unforgiving theatre of league football, where every point feels bought and paid for with blood, sweat and error, Abia Warriors’ recent slump, laid bare by their 2–0 loss to Katsina United is more than a setback. It is a mirror held up to the deeper anatomy of Championship contention: mistakes, perception and psychological resilience.
Imama Amapakabo, a coach with pedigree and polish, did not mince words when diagnosing his side’s flaws after the defeat. His insistence that schoolboy errors rather than tactical naivety or philosophical inconsistency delivered his team into trouble is telling. It speaks to a team that is structurally sound but vulnerable in execution a side capable of crafting chances but too often undone by avoidable lapses.
Football, particularly in the NPFL’s mercurial landscape, penalises such errors with ruthless efficiency. Two goals conceded in quick succession one a deft finish by Uche Collins and the other sprung from a miserly misplay — marked not just Katsina United’s ascendancy on the day but Abia Warriors’ inability to protect their own narrative. This isn’t simply about losing games it’s about losing control at crucial moments.
Yet within these frailties lie the raw materials of renewal. Amapakabo’s measured calm his acknowledgement of improved second-half performance and continued belief in his squad suggests a coach intent on fostering growth from adversity. With 14 matches still to play and 42 points on offer, there remains a pathway to the summit, but one that demands mental recalibration as much as technical correction.
Championship journeys are often defined not by the peaks, but by how teams respond to troughs. For Abia Warriors, the true test lies not in lamenting errors that have already cost them, but in ensuring those lapses become catalysts for refinement rather than recurring motifs in their campaign.
Did You Know?
- Abia Warriors are currently in the NPFL title race despite recent setbacks, showing they remain competitive at the top end of the table.
- Amapakabo is a former Nigeria junior international goalkeeper, giving him a unique perspective on defensive organisation.
- Abia Warriors’ loss to Katsina United extended their winless run to three matches in the 2025/26 NPFL season.
- In their next match Abia Warriors will face Enugu Rangers in an Oriental derby, a fixture with high local significance.
- The goals conceded against Katsina United were attributed by Amapakabo primarily to technical mistakes rather than tactical problems, highlighting a focus on correction in training.
