Imama Amapakabo, Head Coach of Abia Warriors, has described his team’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Katsina United in Sunday’s 2025/2026 NPFL matchday 4 fixture in Umuahia as a timely morale booster, Complesports.com reports.
Amapakabo, a former Nigeria junior international goalkeeper and 2015/2016 NPFL title-winning coach with Rangers, said the result will give his side confidence going into Sunday’s CAF Confederation Cup first-round, first-leg tie against Malian giants Djoliba FC at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
Alalebo’s Goal Secures Vital Points
Somilari Alalebo, a former Enyimba captain, scored the only goal of the nervy contest just six minutes into the second half to hand Abia Warriors their second league win of the season.
The Warriors had lost back-to-back away fixtures to Nasarawa United and Wikki Tourists, leaving them under pressure to bounce back in front of their fans.
Amapakabo: ‘Victory Will Calm The Players’
Reacting to questions about his team’s underwhelming display despite the win, Amapakabo stressed that playing on the continent is a completely different challenge compared to domestic matches.
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“We’ve played four league games this season and I would say this has been our worst performance so far,” Amapakabo admitted.
“We needed a win today to boost our confidence going into the continental competition. It’s a different ball game entirely when you play in Africa. This victory is going to steamroll us into that game. It will give us belief and confidence.
“The players knew that if they didn’t get the result today, pressure would mount ahead of the continental tie. With this win, everybody will be calm, relaxed, and able to play our style when we face Djoliba on Sunday.”
Amapakabo Explains First-Half Struggles vs Katsina United
Amapakabo attributed his team’s sluggish first-half performance to nerves, admitting that the players abandoned their usual style of play.
“I think anxiety was our biggest problem today. The players wanted to win so badly that they rushed things and strayed from our style. From the start, we began playing long balls instead of keeping it on the ground, which unsettled us.
“In the second half, we reminded them to stay calm, control the anxiety, and play our normal passing game. That was when we created chances, and one of those gave us the goal.”
By Sab Osuji
