NPFL: Dogo Celebrates El-Kanemi Warriors’ Away Win Over Bayelsa United

El-Kanemi Warriors’ technical adviser Kabiru Dogo has praised his players following a 1–0 victory against Bayelsa United in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 19 clash in Yenagoa. The Maiduguri-based club secured the win thanks to a first-half strike by Sadiq Mohammed, marking their first away win of the 2025/26 season.

Dogo expressed delight at the players’ performance during the week leading up to the game, emphasising how they responded positively in training and made the necessary tactical adjustments following their previous outing. He also thanked fans for their support, saying their encouragement “motivated the team throughout.”

Editorial

In the context of the NPFL’s fiercely contested first stanza, El-Kanemi Warriors’ 1–0 triumph at Bayelsa United represents more than three valuable points it highlights a squad rediscovering its competitive edge away from home. For a side that had struggled on the road, this breakthrough victory the first of the season speaks to tactical recalibration, psychological resolve, and collective buy-in.

Technical adviser Kabiru Dogo’s reaction reflects an astute leadership mindset. Rather than resting on the laurels of narrow margins, his focus on adjustment and preparation underscores a deeper understanding of what it takes to compete across the season. In the NPFL — with its gruelling travel logistics, physical demands and tactical variance — consistency is often the currency that separates contenders from mid-table also-rans. Warriors’ clean sheet and incisive finishing suggest the early signs of such consistency emerging.

Victory at the Samson Siasia Stadium was hardly a foregone conclusion. Bayelsa United, playing at home with the familiar backing of their crowd, are no pushovers; they have historically been competitive at this stage of the season and will be eager to bounce back. Yet the Warriors’ ability to absorb pressure, maintain defensive solidity, and capitalize on a decisive moment reflects maturity particularly notable for a team that entered the fixture with away success elusive until now.

Beyond the immediate scoreboard impact, this win could serve as a psychological catalyst. Confidence gained from overcoming a challenging road assignment can reverberate beyond a single fixture, feeding into training intensity, tactical cohesion and squad belief. For Dogo, whose words emphasised responsiveness and support appreciation, the challenge now is to translate this momentum into sustained performance not merely isolated flashes of success.

As the league enters its mid-season break, the Warriors’ camp has been active with internal meetings and reflections on how to build upon this result, reinforcing unity and focus ahead of the second stage of the campaign. The real measure of this away victory will be seen in how the team approaches fixtures post-break whether they emerge more confident, cohesive and capable of converting tight games into consistent outcomes.

Did You Know?

1. First Away Win El-Kanemi Warriors’ 1–0 victory over Bayelsa United was their first away win of the 2025/26 NPFL season.
2. Key Goalscorer Sadiq Mohammed scored the decisive goal, netting the only goal in the match to secure the three points.
3. Mid-Table Boost The win helped lift El-Kanemi Warriors into 11th place in the NPFL standings with 25 points after 19 matches.
4. Response After Enyimba Game Dogo noted that the team returned to training after a previous match against Enyimba to correct mistakes and improve performance ahead of this fixture.
5. Fan Support Acknowledgement Dogo highlighted the role of supporters’ encouragement as a motivational factor, emphasising fans’ loyalty “in sunshine and rain.”