Akwa United’s head coach, Fatai Osho, has pledged that the team will not repeat the errors that led to them dropping all three points on the opening day of the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
In his first NPFL match since joining the Promise Keepers at the conclusion of the previous season, Osho kicked off his tenure with a 5-3 loss to a Robert Mizo-inspired Bayelsa United. Despite taking the lead on three occasions during the game, Akwa United’s costly mistakes allowed their hosts to turn the tide from 3-2 to 5-3, with Mizo scoring a hat-trick.
Osho expressed his disappointment with the manner in which the goals were conceded, describing them as fundamental errors.
“It’s truly disheartening that we lost a game like this in the way we did. We were completely in control and deserved to secure all three points, but numerous basic errors on our part led to our defeat,” Osho remarked on the club’s website.
“At this level of football, such mistakes cannot be made because they result in punishment, and that’s precisely what happened to us. It’s astonishing that we scored three goals and didn’t manage to win or secure a point from this match. We must promptly address all the glaring mistakes so that we can come back stronger in our next match.”
Despite the defeat, Osho found some consolation in his team’s goal-scoring ability, with striker Hadi Mohammed getting on the scoresheet quickly, and Seyi Oguntoye also contributing with a brace, including a spectacular volley.
Akwa United’s upcoming match will be their home debut of the season at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. They will face the newly promoted Sporting Lagos, who started their NPFL journey with a 2-0 victory over Gombe United in Lagos on Monday.
