Abakaliki FC have significantly bolstered their squad with six new signings as they intensify their bid for promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Completesports.com reports.
The Nigeria National League (NNL) side currently sit third in Conference B with 15 points from nine matches as the league prepares to resume from its mid-season break.
Head coach Starplus Izuikem Anistar — who guided Coal City United into the NNL last season — said the reinforcements were identified after a thorough assessment of the team’s needs.
“We thoroughly evaluated our performances in the first round and discovered that we needed to strengthen our midfield and attack. We also needed more solidity on the left side of the defence,” Anistar told Completesports.com.
The new recruits include Oforkansi Michael (midfielder) from Lobi Stars, Kemka-Gbasam Emmanuel (attacker) from Willbros FC, Nnachi Diamond (attacker) from Enyimba, David Dennis (attacker) from Akwa United, Edeh Ifeanyi (attacker) from Giant Brillers, and central defender Oluwafemi Ladeinde from Sporting Lagos.
With the second stanza of the NNL approaching and promotion still the main objective, Abakaliki FC have resumed training and are preparing for the challenges ahead.
Editorial
Abakaliki FC’s latest recruitment drive six new signings in the midst of the 2025/26 NNL campaign stands out as a reminder of how second-tier football in Nigeria is gradually embracing strategic planning over reactive fixes. At the heart of this recalibration is head coach Starplus Izuikem Anistar, a tactician whose previous success in guiding Coal City United up the pyramid lends credence to the club’s broader ambition of promotion.
In domestic football, especially at the lower tiers, transfer windows can too easily be regarded as mere frenzies a scramble for bodies rather than the acquisition of fit for purpose talent. Yet Anistar’s approach displays a level of care and surgical assessment that bodes well not just for results, but for institutional growth. By identifying midfield reinforcements, bolstering attacking options, and plugging defensive gaps on the left flank, Abakaliki FC are not simply patching holes they are reshaping their identity.
This mid-season accumulation of talent arrives within a context frequently overshadowed by the glamour of top-flight football. But the NNL, often dismissed by outsiders, is a crucible where professionalism and aspiration intersect with gritty reality. Clubs like Abakaliki FC, which balance ambition with prudence, are leading indicators of the league’s evolution.
All eyes will now turn to the second stanza. With a clear blueprint, increased firepower and a coach who knows how to galvanise teams into competitive intensity, the “Rice Boys” are transforming quiet confidence into tangible momentum. In league football, intent is evident not through rhetoric alone but through the choices a club makes when the stakes are highest and on that count, Abakaliki’s latest moves speak volumes.
Did You Know?
- Abakaliki FC acquired Hammola FC’s NNL slot to return to the second tier after being relegated, a move that sparked debate in Nigerian football circles but ultimately restored their national league status.
- Coach Starplus Izuikem Anistar previously guided Coal City United to promotion from the Nigeria Nationwide League One into the NNL, demonstrating his ability to elevate clubs through the league pyramid.
- The NNL Conference B — where Abakaliki FC compete is one of two subdivisions designed to manage travel logistics and competitive balance across Nigeria’s vast football landscape.
- Sporting Lagos, the club from which defender Oluwafemi Ladeinde was signed, have themselves emerged as a competitive NNL side with aspirations of reaching the NPFL.
- Promotion to the NPFL brings substantial financial and commercial benefits, including increased media coverage, sponsorship opportunities and higher matchday revenues — crucial for clubs aiming to build sustainable models beyond the second tier.
