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NPFL: We’re working to maintain top spot — Doma United coach

Doma United’s Head Coach, Akinade Onigbinde, on Sunday, said his team is working to maintain the top position in the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL).

Onigbinde stated this in a post-match conference in a Match Day 11 fixture played at Pantami Township Stadium, Gombe. Gombe United defeated Niger Tornadoes 1-0.

Doma United by this victory returned to the top of the league table with 21 points after 11 matches, winning six with four draws and two losses.

Onigbinde said he and his coaching crew were working to ensure that they permanently remain at the top of the league table until the end of the season.

He said that for the team to achieve this feat, it must continue to win matches away from home.

“We need to get 3 points or 1 from away matches.

“Our next match is against Kwara United and our target is to get points in Kwara and we are working towards that,” he said.

On his team’s outing against Niger Tornadoes, he said though the match was tough, getting maximum points was the relief he needed to plan.

He commended his players for “fighting hard to maintain their lead till the end of the match.

Onigbinde, however, berated his players’ inability to utilise their chances in the game which he said he would work on ahead of subsequent matches.

“Our players played well but for the second half, we found it very difficult.

“After scoring the first goal, they came on us, we tried to absorb them and go on a counter.

“We were supposed to get another goal that would have served as a security goal but all the same; we are thankful.

“We have been working on that but we still need the technical team to come together because I don’t know why we lost goal-scoring opportunities.

“We need to work more on that to avoid wasting our chances,” he said.

On his part, the Technical Adviser of Niger Tornadoes, Hamza Abarah blamed technical reasons for his team’s inability to execute their plans of securing points away.

“We came with a game plan but unfortunately, we lost the game due to some tactical reasons.

“ I commend my boys; they really tried. This is what we want to see out of them,” Abarah said.

He stated that his players put up one of the best performances since the commencement of the league and “I am proud of them; despite the fact that we lost, it is one of the best.”

The lone goal of the match was scored in the 45th minute of the game by Doma United’s Nelson Abiam.

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