Kun Khalifat FC Strengthen Squad Ahead of NPFL Second Stanza

Kun Khalifat FC have been active in the NPFL winter transfer window as they prepare for the second stanza of the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League season, completing several signings aimed at bolstering their squad depth and quality across key positions.

The club’s new recruits include:

• Abdulrafiu Omolabi Owolabi — a striker signed from Crown FC on a two‑year contract, brought in to boost goal output up front.
• Ekebuike James — another forward, arriving from Stormers FC (Abeokuta) on a two‑year deal to add physicality and competition in attack.
• James Ebuka — a dynamic defensive midfielder from Rock United FC, expected to provide balance and ball‑winning presence in the middle of the park.
• Salami Damilola — an exciting left winger formerly with Warri Wolves, signed on a long‑term contract through summer 2029, adding pace and creativity out wide.
• Benson Kingsley Benkin — a versatile winger joining from Ward 20 National on a two‑year deal, offering further options on the flanks.

With these additions complete, Kun Khalifat FC will look to integrate their new players quickly as they open the second stanza away at Katsina United on 15 January 2026, hoping the reinforcements can help them climb the NPFL standings and revive their campaign.

Editorial

In the labyrinth of league football, where aspiration constantly collides with urgency, Kun Khalifat FC’s mid‑season recruitment drive reads like a club conscious of both its present tribulations and its future potential. For a side still finding its footing among Nigeria’s elite after recent promotion, the decision to invest in multiple signings at this juncture speaks to a strategic recalibration rather than untempered ambition.

Football is a game of margins. When a club sits toward the lower reaches of the table, the inverse calculus begins it is no longer solely about refining brilliance, but about injecting robustness into areas of vulnerability. Kun Khalifat’s acquisitions, spanning strikers, midfield balance and wide creativity, show an understanding that points are often won in the subtleties of depth and diversity, not merely in headline‑grabbing stars.

But there is another dimension to this flurry of activity belief. In bolstering both wings and core, the club is broadcasting a conviction that it can compete and not simply survive in the second half of the season. The players brought in are not placeholders they are recruits with roles to fulfil, tasks that speak directly to the club’s tactical vulnerabilities and strategic ambitions.

Yet recruitment alone does not remake a campaign. Integration the alchemy by which individuals become an organic unit — remains the real test. The NPFL, with its unforgiving tempo and psychological pressure, is a league where continuity often trumps singular talent. For Kun Khalifat to flourish, these new faces must not only adapt to the rhythm of competition but also understand the collective ethos their club seeks to cultivate.

As the second stanza beckons, what will define Kun Khalifat’s narrative is not the number of contracts signed, but the cohesion those players bring to the pitch. In Nigerian football’s theatre, where fortunes turn swiftly and resilience is currency, this winter window may yet be remembered as a turning point if the club’s reinforcements can convert promise into performance.

Did You Know?

1. Rapid Rise Kun Khalifat FC only recently earned promotion to the NPFL after a successful run through the NNL Super 8 Playoffs, marking one of the club’s biggest achievements.
2. Historic Promotion The Owerri‑based club’s ascent to the NPFL in 2025 was a significant milestone — returning to Nigeria’s top flight for the first time in their history.
3. Coaching Changes Kun Khalifat underwent a major overhaul of its coaching staff and management late last year as part of a restructuring effort amid a tough debut NPFL campaign.
4. Barau FC Deals During the winter window, Kun Khalifat transferred three players (Uche Moses, Ebuka Nwokorie and Henry Ezeonye) to fellow NPFL side Barau FC, highlighting active mid‑season market movement.
5. Up and Down Season Despite strengthening, Kun Khalifat’s first half of the NPFL season was challenging, with the club fighting to escape the relegation zone as they rebuild momentum.