Wolves’ Fast Start Rattled Wikki’s Game Plan, Says Coach
Wikki Tourists Head Coach, Abdul Maikaba, has told Completesports.com that the early goal scored by Warri Wolves’ Lati Yusuf in Saturday’s final of the 2024/2025 NNL Super 8 playoffs unsettled his players and derailed their game plan, resulting in a 3-2 defeat at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.
Wikki’s Defensive Record Shattered
Wikki Tourists had kept clean sheets in their previous three matches in the playoffs, but they surprisingly found themselves 3-0 down within the first 26 minutes of the intense final against the in-form Seasiders.
The ‘Giant Elephants’ mounted a spirited comeback, scoring just before the break, and Wonderson Yakubu added another 14 minutes into the second half. However, Warri Wolves held firm, defending in numbers to protect their 3-2 lead until the final whistle.
“We Were Caught Off Guard” — Maikaba
Coach Maikaba admitted his players were initially in control before being stunned by Wolves’ early strike.
“I think we were caught off guard,” Maikaba began. “We were in control of the game before they scored — quite against the run of play.
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“The players temporarily lost concentration and failed to mark tightly. Don’t forget, the rain made the pitch slippery, and that was also a factor.
“Before we could regroup and adjust, we had conceded more goals. At that point, it seemed the game was slipping away before Aliyu Mahmudu scored for us before half-time.
“In the second half, we should have equalised after Wonderson’s goal made it 3-2. But we didn’t convert the chances we created, even though we controlled the game again when the pitch improved after the rain had stopped.”
Maikaba Looking Ahead To NPFL
Before the final, Wikki Tourists had not conceded a single goal in the tournament — nor had they scored — until their final group game, when they thrashed Yobe Desert Stars 4-0.
But against a rampant Warri Wolves side, they conceded three early goals and couldn’t fully recover, despite rallying back.
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Coach Maikaba says the focus has now shifted to the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
“The NPFL, we’re told, will start on August 22, that’s about five weeks from now. So we’ll go back home and review the team’s performance to identify areas that need improvement.
“The good thing is that we’ve secured promotion to the NPFL — that was the primary target before coming here.
“With that mission accomplished, we’ll now plan for the next challenge, which is the Premier League proper.
“Of course, we’ll need to recruit a few new players to strengthen key areas of the team — but first, we’ll return home, assess the squad, and then decide on the next steps,” Maikaba concluded.
By Sab Osuji in Asaba
