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Deji Ayeni, Head Coach of newly promoted Doma United, has exclusively told Completesports.com that the club is not under pressure to win the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title in the 2026/2027 season.
Doma United Focused On Stability Rather Than Title Challenge
Ayeni, a former Akwa United and Enyimba coach, said the club’s immediate objective is to build a competitive team and retain its top-flight status. He added that while winning a trophy would be welcomed, it is not the club’s primary target.
“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.
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“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,” Ayeni said.
Return To Pantami Stadium Boosts Doma United’s Ambitions
The 54-year-old coach is delighted that Doma United are set to return to their ancestral home ground, Pantami Stadium, Gombe, for the 2026/2027 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,” said Ayeni, who has previously managed Prime FC, Cynosure FC, Ogun United and Sunshine Stars.
Asked about his team’s preparations for the new campaign, Ayeni revealed that the club had recruited players from within and outside Nigeria and was using pre-season matches to assess those who best fit the team’s playing philosophy before registration.
“The owner of the club, Alhaji Suleiman Umar (Suleiman Umar Mai Doma), wants the very best players, regardless of where they come from.
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“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.
Pre-Season Tournaments Key To Squad Assessment
Doma United are among several NPFL clubs participating in the 2026 Ifeanyi Ekwueme Tico/Select Pre-season Tournament in Enugu.
“That’s the reason we’re here in Enugu for this pre-season tournament. We also have a friendly match against Enyimba in Aba on Sunday. Then, on Monday, we’ll travel to Abeokuta for the Gold Cup Tournament and to Ikene 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 concluded.
