By David Owei
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‎Bayelsa United technical adviser, Abdul Maikaba, says the club has a clear mandate: return to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) at the end of the 2026/27 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.
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‎Speaking after a preseason victory over De Go-Pro FC of Sapele, Maikaba said the Yenagoa-based Prosperity Boys are fully focused on the task ahead as the NNL gets set to kick off on Saturday, October 31.
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‎The season opener will feature Heartland of Owerri taking on Crown FC of Ogbomosho, the league announced during its AGM in Owerri.
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‎“I am satisfied with the display and the way they played,” Maikaba told journalists. “But the truth is, we are assessing the players because we are recruiting. We are looking to see who will add value to the team, and any player who will not add value, we will let him go.”
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‎The former Kano Pillars boss signed a one-year deal specifically to take Bayelsa United back to the elite division.
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‎“We have more than sixty players in camp. We are gradually trimming down to our maximum of 35,” he explained. “With quality games and proper training, we will pick the best. That is why I have a one-season contract — to do the job in one year.”
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‎Maikaba stressed that Bayelsa United will not shy away from any opponent in the abridged campaign. 
‎“We are in the NNL to face any team. We are not here to handpick opponents. Any team we are drawn with, we are ready to face. The target is to qualify for the Premier League in one season.”
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‎The Prosperity Boys find themselves in what many consider the toughest group.
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‎Conference B pits Bayelsa United against: Beyond Limit FA(Ogun), Solution FC (Anambra), Akwa United (Akwa Ibom), Smart City FC (Lagos), Right-2-Win FC (Abia), Dokka Khairu FC (Osun), Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi), and Ekiti United (Ekiti).
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‎The club says more quality friendly matches will be used to fine-tune the squad and identify weaknesses before the October kickoff.

By David Owei,Bayelsa
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‎The Chairman of the Bayelsa United Interim Management Board, Dr. Peter Singabele, has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing Nationwide League One U-19 Youth League holding in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
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‎Speaking with journalists, Dr. Singabele commended the smooth organization of the tournament and the quality of football displayed by the participating teams.
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‎He said the board is excited by the level of young talents on display, adding that the tournament provides a perfect platform to scout and nurture future stars who can be integrated into Bayelsa United in the coming years.
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‎The Bayelsa United Chairman explained that the Under-19 Youth League was attracted to the State by the board as a fulfillment of the mandate of the Governor to infuse greater percentage of homegrown talents into the emerging Bayelsa United set up.
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‎The Bayelsa United helmsman also praised the Bayelsa United Feeders team for their outstanding run, having won all three matches so far while keeping clean sheets.
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‎“This is a clear show of determination and hunger for success. It should serve as a morale booster and a wake-up call for the senior team to emulate what the younger ones are doing when the new NNL season begins,” he said.
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‎Dr. Singabele urged young footballers across the state to take inspiration from the tournament and aspire to greatness.
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‎He further appreciated Governor Douye Diri, his Deputy Dr. Peter Akpe as well as the Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Champion Daniel Igali for their continuous support for the new interim Management Board of Bayelsa United Football Club in particular and sports generally in state and for accepting the hosting rights of the junior league.
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‎Dr. Singabele noted that their actions were a reflection of the Prosperity Administration’s commitment to engaging youths positively through sports.
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‎“We are satisfied with the ongoing U-19 league. We see it as an opportunity for the new management to scout young talents that can be groomed to become stars in the future,” he concluded.

By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for the immediate resignation of the current leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), saying Nigerian football can no longer afford the continued dominance of politicians and opportunists in football administration.

HURIWA in a atatement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko said the time has come for fresh, competent and experienced football professionals to take charge of the nation’s football and rescue the game from years of poor leadership, corruption and political interference.

The association particularly called for an NFF leadership structure that gives prominent former professional footballers and respected football administrators a central role.
HURIWA cited personalities such as Michael Emenalo, former technical adviser of Chelsea FC; Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha, former Super Eagles captain; Segun Odegbami, former Green Eagles captain; and Ahmed Musa, former Super Eagles captain, among other respected football professionals.
The association urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to declare a state of emergency in Nigerian football and work with FIFA to establish a credible framework that ensures only tested, trusted and competent football professionals are allowed to play leading roles in the administration of Nigerian football.
HURIWA said Nigeria’s football crisis is now too serious to be treated as business as usual.
The failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for two successive World Cups, alongside Nigeria’s expected absence from the 2027 Women’s World Cup, according to the association, shows that Nigerian football is facing an existential crisis.
“This is no longer just about missing football tournaments. It is about the gradual destruction of a national institution that has given Nigerians pride, unity and happiness for generations,” HURIWA said.
The association said the recent intervention by former Super Eagles captain Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha, who called for fresh thinking and a new structure in Nigerian football, should be taken seriously by the government and all stakeholders.
HURIWA noted that previous attempts at reform have produced recommendations that were either ignored or poorly implemented.
It therefore warned that merely setting up another committee or normalisation arrangement without changing the fundamental structure of football administration would amount to another waste of time.
HURIWA called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support the widespread demand for comprehensive reforms in the NFF and ensure that football administration is placed in the hands of people with the competence, experience and integrity to develop the game.
The association also called for greater transparency and accountability in the management of football resources and the implementation of policies that will develop grassroots football, strengthen the national teams and restore Nigeria’s place among the world’s leading football nations.
HURIWA said politicians have no business controlling the technical direction of Nigerian football when the country has produced world-class footballers and administrators capable of providing better leadership.
We cannot continue to put the future of Nigerian football in the hands of people who have little or no professional football experience. Nigeria has the talents, the resources and the football history. What is missing is competent and accountable leadership.
The current NFF leadership should honourably resign and allow fresh minds to take over. This is not a witch-hunt. It is a demand for accountability and a desperate call to save Nigerian football from extinction.”
HURIWA urged former internationals, coaches, players, football administrators, supporters and all Nigerians to join the campaign for fundamental reforms in Nigerian football.