Nasarawa United crushed Rivers United 4-1 at the Lafia City Stadium on Monday, vaulting into third place in the NPFL, as coach Mbwas Mangut warned his squad the real work begins now.
Nasarawa United turned on the style at home on Monday, thumping former league champions Rivers United 4-1 to surge into the top three of the Nigeria Premier Football League. The margin of victory was emphatic, and Mbwas Mangut made clear he expects his side to carry that energy into every game left in the season.
Goals from Ngei Oluka-Efor, Abubakar Abdullahi, Chimezie Victor and JoFrank Istifanus sealed a commanding afternoon for the Solid Miners in Lafia, with Taiwo Abdulrafiu scoring a consolation for the visitors. The result leaves Rivers United looking increasingly fragile at the business end of the campaign, having now stumbled in back-to-back fixtures.
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Mangut: We Could Have Scored Eight
Mangut was in a buoyant mood after the final whistle, but he was not entirely satisfied with his side’s efficiency in front of goal. He told reporters that the scoreline could have been far more decisive had his forwards converted their opportunities. “With due respect to our opponents today, if we had taken all our chances, we should have scored up to eight goals,” he said.
The technical adviser also credited the motivational push from Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, who addressed the squad during a recent visit. Mangut noted that the governor’s message reinforced the importance of scoring heavily with the title race tightening. “He spoke about it when we paid him a Sallah homage recently, and it really motivated us,” Mangut said.
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Continental Ambition Driving the Push
Nasarawa United’s target is not just safety or a respectable finish. Mangut has openly stated that the club wants to be among the top two sides at the end of the season, which would secure a ticket into CAF club competition. That ambition explains the urgency with which they approached Monday’s fixture, treating it as a six-pointer against a direct rival rather than a routine home game.
Their next assignment takes them to Lagos, where they face Kwara United. Mangut stressed the club would approach that fixture with the same intensity, knowing the stakes at this stage. “Our next game against Kwara United in Lagos will be taken seriously, knowing what stage of the competition we are in now,” he said.
As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, Nasarawa United’s 4-1 triumph was their biggest win of the current NPFL campaign and moves them to 47 points, just two points off the leaders. Supporters looking to track odds for upcoming matches can find Bet9ja’s promo code today to get in on the action before the next round kicks off.
📌 Did You Know?
- Nasarawa United were founded in 1998 and are based in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State in north-central Nigeria.
- The Lafia City Stadium, where Monday’s win was recorded, has a capacity of approximately 5,000 spectators and has historically been a fortress for the Solid Miners in NPFL competition.
- Rivers United, managed by Edwin Okon, were NPFL champions in the 2021-22 season, making Monday’s 4-1 defeat a particularly stinging result for the Port Harcourt club.
- Mbwas Mangut began his coaching career in the Nigerian lower leagues and worked his way up through several clubs before establishing himself as one of the more tactically flexible coaches in the NPFL.
- Nasarawa State, whose governor Abdullahi Sule has been a vocal supporter of the club, is one of Nigeria’s youngest states, having been created from Plateau State in 1996.
- A top-two NPFL finish qualifies a club for the CAF Champions League, while third to fourth place typically earns entry into the CAF Confederation Cup, giving the current title race significant continental implications.
- JoFrank Istifanus, who scored Nasarawa’s fourth goal, is one of several young Nigerian forwards making a name for themselves in the NPFL this season as clubs increasingly invest in local talent pipelines.
