Kwara United head coach Suleiman Ashifat has identified key issues behind his side’s ongoing struggles as they battle to stay clear of danger in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

The Ilorin club slipped to a 1–0 defeat against Abia Warriors on Sunday in Aba, with Casmir Azubuike scoring the decisive goal in the 29th minute, Footballrover reports.

The result has intensified pressure in their NPFL relegation battle.

Kwara United face harsh reality in NPFL relegation fight

Speaking after the Matchday 27 loss, Ashifat admitted it has been a difficult campaign for the Harmony Boys.

The coach said during the post-match press conference that he had already summed everything up, describing it as a difficult time for them.

“But we’ll get out of it. I have that belief. We’ll remain focused. It’s one of those things. You can see the kind of goal they scored against us today. It was just a mistake, but that’s part of football.

“We won’t be dampened. We’ll continue to push hard. We still have 33 points to fight for. We’re on it, and we’ll continue to fight to make sure that we leave the red zone.”

With 11 matches still left this season, the 2025 President Federation Cup holders believe survival remains firmly within reach despite their current position near the bottom of the NPFL table.

Kwara United’s costly errors and attacking struggles exposed

The defeat in Aba once again highlighted defensive lapses. Abia Warriors capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Suraj Ayeleso — similar to the mistake that proved costly in their previous home fixture against Rivers United.

When asked about the back-to-back errors, Ashifat admitted the situation was troubling but pointed to the human side of the game.

He acknowledged that it was a serious cause for concern, agreeing that back-to-back mistakes were not ideal.

However, he added that football is a game of mistakes, noting that they are human beings playing it.

He maintained that the goalkeeper had been fantastic but assured that they would return to the drawing board to make the necessary corrections.

Beyond defensive errors, Kwara’s attacking output remains a pressing concern in their NPFL relegation battle.

“In today’s game, we couldn’t create enough scoring opportunities. Previously, we were creating chances but not converting them.

“Now, we’re not scoring much. That’s our major problem. Even the little opportunity we had today, if we were clinical enough, we should have converted it.

“It’s a serious concern, and we’ll continue to make corrections as we train and prepare for our next game.”

As the season enters its final stretch, Kwara United must quickly address both defensive lapses and scoring inefficiency if they are to win their NPFL relegation fight and maintain their top-flight status.

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Last Updated on February 24, 2026 2:55 am by footballrover