Mathew Samuel

Central Defender - Barau
16 May 2027
Sunday
Process
Overview Personal Contract News 2 Transfers 1 Relations Events 51 Awards Matches History

Marked for Mathew Samuel

32 Edition

The Barau Courier

8 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

The dugout8 Mar 2027

Mathew Samuel: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Barau have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market8 Mar 2027

Godwin Akpo has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Barau they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad8 Mar 2027

Anthony Omaka signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Anthony Omaka and Barau agree another 3 years.

Match6 Mar 2027

Whatever happens, Barau do not lose

6 games unbeaten now. Some were earned and some were survived, but a habit is forming — and habits are the hardest thing in football to play against.

Match6 Mar 2027

Joseph Atule the difference as Barau beat Bendel Insurance

Ask anyone on the way out what separated the sides and you will get one name: Joseph Atule. 1‑0 against Bendel Insurance, and the applause at the whistle was mostly his.

Player ratings8 Mar 2027

Joseph Atule takes the honours

Marked 7.91 on an afternoon he ran from the first whistle to the last. Whatever else went wrong, Barau had the best player on the pitch.

Squad8 Mar 2027

Adamu Umar in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Barau this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Loan watch8 Mar 2027

Uche Moses wants to come home

“I did not go to Rivers United to sit and watch. I want to come back to Barau and fight for my place.” 1 appearances in 6 matches say the rest.

The dugout8 Mar 2027

Peter Akpan has his say

“We earned that. I asked them for a reaction and I got one, and now I want the same again on Saturday.” Peter Akpan on a 1‑0 afternoon that pleased him more than he was prepared to show.

In brief

Back issues
14 Edition

The Barau Courier

2 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad2 Nov 2026

The armband comes off Chisom Chiaha

Barau will explain it as a decision about the team, and it may well be one. A dressing room has never once read it that way.

The dugout2 Nov 2026

Chisom Chiaha knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Barau, and both men came out saying it was fine.

The dugout2 Nov 2026

No hiding place for Mathew Samuel

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Mathew Samuel, and the manager let it.

Squad2 Nov 2026

A promotion for Jude Mamman

Not a new contract, not a new number: a new place in the manager’s thinking, which is the only promotion in football that actually matters. Jude Mamman has moved up it.

Squad2 Nov 2026

Joseph Atule takes the armband

It is a strip of cloth and it decides nothing on a Saturday. It still tells the dressing room exactly whose opinion the manager values, which is the whole point of it.

Squad2 Nov 2026

Najib Yusuf has had enough of the bench

“I did not come here to warm up in front of people.” He is out of contract eventually, he is old enough to count the weeks, and Barau will have to give him a reason to stay or an exit.

In brief