Doma United Not Under Title Pressure — Ayeni

Doma United head coach Deji Ayeni says the newly promoted club is under no pressure to challenge for the NPFL title in the 2026/27 season, with the focus instead on building a squad capable of holding its own in the top flight.

“Our first mandate is to build a team that can compete. We’re also driven by the objective of building a commercially marketable team for both the domestic and global markets,” Ayeni said. “That’s our target for the season. We want to build a team that’s exciting and commercially attractive while maintaining our place in the NPFL. We’re not under any title pressure whatsoever. But if God graciously crowns our efforts with a trophy at the end of the day, fantastic. We’ll accept it with great joy.”

It’s a measured approach from a club that has been here before and fallen back down. Doma United last played in the NPFL before being relegated during the 2023/24 season, and this promotion, secured with a 2-0 win over Mighty Jets, marks their second crack at sustaining top-flight status.

Ayeni is particularly pleased that the club will return to Pantami Stadium in Gombe for the new campaign. “It’s nice playing in front of your home fans. Work has been going on there over the last three weeks. The dressing rooms and other facilities are being upgraded significantly,” he said. Fans following the buildup to the new NPFL season can check Bet9ja’s current promo code as pre-season continues.

Squad building has been a central focus so far, with the club casting a wide net for talent. Ayeni revealed that Doma United have recruited players from both within and outside Nigeria, using pre-season friendlies to work out who fits the team’s style before final registration.

“The owner of the club, Alhaji Suleiman Umar, wants the very best players, regardless of where they come from. Right now, we have quite a number of them in camp. We’re assessing them in pre-season matches to identify those who can adapt to our philosophy,” Ayeni said. New Bet9ja users tracking NPFL pre-season can also check how to get the Bet9ja promotion code before the campaign kicks off.

That evaluation process is taking Doma United across the country. The club is currently in Enugu for the Ifeanyi Ekwueme Tico/Select Pre-season Tournament, with a friendly against Enyimba in Aba lined up, before trips to Abeokuta for the Gold Cup Tournament and Ikenne for the ValueJet Pre-season Tournament.

“These tournaments provide an opportunity for us to take a closer look at the players we’ve assembled, identify those who can adapt to our playing philosophy and ensure we present a strong team capable of competing in the league,” Ayeni said. Punters following the NPFL pre-season circuit can check Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code as the tournaments continue.

Ayeni himself brings a well-travelled coaching résumé to the job, having previously managed Akwa United and Enyimba among other clubs. For Doma United, the goal now is simple: stay up, build something sustainable, and let any silverware take care of itself.