Umar Ada

Right Midfielder - Nasarawa United
28 Mar 2028
Tuesday
Process

Marked for Umar Ada

87 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

27 Mar 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

No end in sight to Nasarawa United's wait for a win

4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Nasarawa United has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Joseph Nathaniel was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Hussaini Mubarak

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Player ratings

Abubakar Garba in the eights

A performance of 8.58 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Player ratings

Umar Ada runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 18. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Match

Abubakar Garba rescues a point for Nasarawa United

It needed Abubakar Garba to find the net to bring anything home at all: 1‑1 against El-Kanemi Warriors, and half the dressing room will call it a point won.

Squad

Awal Auta knocks on the manager’s door

“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Awal Auta trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.

Squad

Abubakar Garba is off the mark for Nasarawa United

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

Player ratings

A day to forget for Victor John

Marked 5.42, and generously at that. Nothing came off, and by the end the crowd had stopped expecting it to.

In brief

Back issues
86 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

20 Mar 2028
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Sunusi Audu keeps the receipts

“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Nasarawa United may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Umar Ada

Successful dribbles: 23. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Squad

Joseph Nathaniel 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Match

Plateau United take the points off Nasarawa United

Beaten 1‑3, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Joseph Nathaniel

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Awal Auta

Marked 8.05 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

In brief

84 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

6 Mar 2028
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Olughu Chinemerem puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Nasarawa United, and it is not being withdrawn.

Player ratings

Umar Ada runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 24. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Squad

Youssef Oubaba signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Youssef Oubaba commits to Nasarawa United for another 4 years.

Squad

Joseph Nathaniel 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ameh Godwin

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

A bad afternoon for Nasarawa United against Niger Tornadoes

0‑1 to Niger Tornadoes, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

In brief

83 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

28 Feb 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Olughu Chinemerem says Nasarawa United went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Match

8 unbeaten for Nasarawa United

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 8 matches without defeat is a foundation Nasarawa United did not have in the autumn.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Joseph Nathaniel was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Umar Ada runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 21. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Match

Awal Auta the difference as Nasarawa United beat Shooting Stars

Ask anyone on the way out what separated the sides and you will get one name: Awal Auta. 1‑0 against Shooting Stars, and the applause at the whistle was mostly his.

Player ratings

Awal Auta in the eights

A performance of 8.36 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Squad

No hiding place for Sunusi Audu

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

Player ratings

Nothing got past Joseph Nathaniel

Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 17 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.

Player ratings

Segun Adekunle shuts the door

Defensive actions: 11, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

In brief

82 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

21 Feb 2028
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Sunusi Audu hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Nasarawa United can pretend not to have heard.

Match

7 unbeaten for Nasarawa United

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 7 matches without defeat is a foundation Nasarawa United did not have in the autumn.

Squad

Joseph Nathaniel 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Umar Ada in the eights

A performance of 8.84 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Youssef Oubaba

Marked 8.70 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Squad

No hiding place for Awal Auta

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

Match

Nasarawa United get the job done against Abia Warriors

A 1‑0 win over Abia Warriors, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Player ratings

Abubakar Garba runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 16. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Player ratings

A defender's afternoon for Imo Ikemdinachi

Defensive actions: 16. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.

In brief

81 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

14 Feb 2028
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Nasarawa United's wait for a win

12 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Nasarawa United has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Umar Ada was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

Whatever happens, Nasarawa United 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.

Player ratings

Abubakar Garba runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 20. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Player ratings

Segun Adekunle in the eights

A performance of 9.04 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Tyrese Omotoye

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Jofrank Istifanus signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Jofrank Istifanus commits to Nasarawa United for another 3 years.

Match

Nasarawa United share the spoils with Rivers United

A 1‑1 draw with Rivers United leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

Squad

Qudus Olayiwola 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 Nasarawa United will have to give him a reason to stay or an exit.

In brief

79 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

31 Jan 2028
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

The wait goes on for Nasarawa United

10 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Squad

Jamiu Amusat signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Jamiu Amusat and Nasarawa United agree another 3 years.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Umar Ada was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

Akintunde Azeez gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Victor John out for 18 days

The medical room confirms 18 days on the sidelines for Victor John, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Player ratings

Joseph Nathaniel shuts the door

Defensive actions: 18, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Player ratings

Imo Ikemdinachi shuts the door

Defensive actions: 18, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Player ratings

Umar Ada runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 17. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Player ratings

Chidera Nduka stands above it all

Some games turn on a moment; this one turned on a man. 7.54 on the card, and the Nasarawa United support went home talking about one name.

In brief

78 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

24 Jan 2028
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Nasarawa United's wait for a win

9 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Nasarawa United has to find a result from somewhere.

Market

Awal Auta is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Nasarawa United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Umar Ada 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Abubakar Garba

Successful dribbles: 19. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Squad

No hiding place for Ameh Godwin

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

Player ratings

Chidera Nduka stands above it all

Some games turn on a moment; this one turned on a man. 7.74 on the card, and the Nasarawa United support went home talking about one name.

Match

Honours even between Nasarawa United and Enyimba

1‑1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Squad

Awal Auta finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Nasarawa United have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

Squad

Sunusi Audu 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 Nasarawa United, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

76 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

10 Jan 2028
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Niger Tornadoes come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and Nasarawa United did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Match

The wait goes on for Nasarawa United

7 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Abubakar Garba

Successful dribbles: 28. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Squad

Umar Ada 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Imo Ikemdinachi shuts the door

Defensive actions: 22, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Squad

No hiding place for Tyrese Omotoye

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

Squad

Nasarawa United count the cost of losing Darlintin Ovunda

33 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.

Player ratings

Chidera Nduka takes the honours

Marked 7.65 on an afternoon he ran from the first whistle to the last. Whatever else went wrong, Nasarawa United had the best player on the pitch.

Market

Talks stall between Nasarawa United and Ahmad Nafiu

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

In brief

75 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

3 Jan 2028
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Tyrese Omotoye: 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.” Nasarawa United have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Match

No end in sight to Nasarawa United's wait for a win

6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Nasarawa United has to find a result from somewhere.

Market

Simon Osayi-Samuel comes home

The shirt still fits. Simon Osayi-Samuel is back at Nasarawa United, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.

Market

As if he never left: Chidozie Awaziem returns

Some transfers need a press campaign. This one needed a shirt with the old number on it. Chidozie Awaziem is a Nasarawa United player again, and the town has its story of the summer.

Market

As if he never left: Ibrahim Ebuehi returns

Some transfers need a press campaign. This one needed a shirt with the old number on it. Ibrahim Ebuehi is a Nasarawa United player again, and the town has its story of the summer.

Market

Aminu Abdullahi is a Nasarawa United player again

He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.

Squad

Umar Ada 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Match

Nasarawa United come up short against Kwara United

Kwara United left with the points after a 1‑3 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Youssef Oubaba

Marked 8.98 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

In brief

74 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

27 Dec 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Umar Ada was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

No hiding place for Awal Auta

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

Squad

Nasarawa United lose Akanni Lawal

29 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

In brief

73 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

20 Dec 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Awal Auta keeps the receipts

“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Nasarawa United may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.

Squad

Umar Ada 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Segun Adekunle

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

67 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

8 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Darlintin Ovunda: 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.” Nasarawa United have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Umar Ada 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Awal Auta

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

60 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

20 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

The wait goes on for Nasarawa United

5 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Tosin Olawale

Successful dribbles: 25. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Umar Ada was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

Izuchuckwu Chimezie signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Izuchuckwu Chimezie and Nasarawa United agree another 3 years.

Squad

No hiding place for Ameh Godwin

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

Match

Nasarawa United share the spoils with Kano Pillars

A 1‑1 draw with Kano Pillars leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

In brief

58 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

6 Sep 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Awal Auta hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Nasarawa United can pretend not to have heard.

Market

So close: Awal Auta’s move dies late

The fee was agreed and the flight was looked at — and then the phone stopped ringing. Abia Warriors moved on, Awal Auta reports back to Nasarawa United, and everybody pretends Monday is just Monday.

The terraces

The ground has had enough

“We travel everywhere and we get this.” 6 of the 27 senior players heard it walking off, and the ones who did not hear it were not playing.

Squad

King Osanga 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Match

Ikorodu City take the points off Nasarawa United

Beaten 2‑3, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

No hiding place for Hussaini Mubarak

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

Player ratings

Umar Ada in the eights

A performance of 8.46 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Abubakar Garba

Successful dribbles: 18. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Market

Talks stall between Nasarawa United and Umar Ada

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

In brief

53 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

2 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Segun Adekunle keeps the receipts

“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Nasarawa United may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.

Match

The wait goes on for Nasarawa United

6 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Market

Olughu Chinemerem asks to leave Nasarawa United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Abubakar Garba

Successful dribbles: 24. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Player ratings

Ifeanyi Okechukwu shuts the door

Defensive actions: 23, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Ameh Godwin was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

No hiding place for Umar Ada

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

Market

Ikorodu City are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Nasarawa United will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

Player ratings

Imo Ikemdinachi shuts the door

Defensive actions: 19, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

In brief

52 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

26 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Chukwudi Okoro puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Nasarawa United, and it is not being withdrawn.

Market

Nasarawa United say no — this time

The offer from Katsina United for Collins Onovughe was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.

Match

No end in sight to Nasarawa United's wait for a win

5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Nasarawa United has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

King Osanga 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Umar Ada

Successful dribbles: 19. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Awal Auta

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Player ratings

One of those days for Segun Adekunle

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.36, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Squad

No place for Emmanuel Utaka on the big day

He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Nasarawa United pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.

Match

Nasarawa United and Wikki Tourists take a point apiece

It finished 1‑1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

In brief

44 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

31 May 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Nasarawa United's wait for a win

12 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Nasarawa United has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

King Osanga 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

Awal Auta gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Umar Ada

Successful dribbles: 18. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Player ratings

Joseph Nathaniel shuts the door

Defensive actions: 17, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Match

No goals between Nasarawa United and Warri Wolves

Ninety minutes, two goalkeepers with clean gloves, and not one finish worth keeping. Warri Wolves will be the happier side with the point.

In brief

42 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

17 May 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

The wait goes on for Nasarawa United

10 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Market

Victor John asks to leave Nasarawa United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Hassan Adamu says Nasarawa United went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Emmanuel Utaka was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

Nasarawa United come up short against Kwara United

Kwara United left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Umar Ada

Successful dribbles: 18. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Izuchuckwu Chimezie

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Chukwudi Okoro asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Player ratings

A day to forget for Pam Samuel

Marked 5.60, and generously at that. Nothing came off, and by the end the crowd had stopped expecting it to.

In brief

38 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

19 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Chukwudi Okoro hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Nasarawa United can pretend not to have heard.

Match

5 matches without a win for Nasarawa United

The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Nasarawa United are no longer polite ones.

Squad

Luka Ngwei: 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.” Nasarawa United have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

King Osanga was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

Nasarawa United count the cost of losing Hassan Adamu

34 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Hussaini Mubarak

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Player ratings

One of those days for Umar Ada

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.09, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Player ratings

A costly moment from Ifeanyi Okechukwu

One lapse, one goal, and ninety minutes of honest work counting for nothing. That is the job at Nasarawa United, and it is a cruel one.

Match

Nasarawa United and Katsina United take a point apiece

It finished 1‑1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

In brief

35 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

29 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Still nobody has beaten Nasarawa United

The unbeaten run reaches 12. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Market

Only the photograph left for Chukwudi Okoro

Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Chukwudi Okoro will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Nasarawa United the goodbyes have quietly begun.

Market

Nasarawa United say no — this time

The offer from FF Jaro for Eshimitu Gomino Eya was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Emmanuel Utaka was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Umar Ada

Successful dribbles: 18. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Squad

No hiding place for Segun Adekunle

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

Player ratings

Ifeanyi Okechukwu stands above it all

Some games turn on a moment; this one turned on a man. 7.42 on the card, and the Nasarawa United support went home talking about one name.

Market

The Sunusi Audu conversation is coming

Everyone has stopped pretending: IFK Mariehamn will make the call about Sunusi Audu this week. Nasarawa United have a number in mind, and the number is not shy.

Squad

Chukwudi Okoro knocks on the manager’s door

“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Chukwudi Okoro trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.

In brief

34 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

22 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Still nobody has beaten Nasarawa United

The unbeaten run reaches 11. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

Ameh Godwin keeps Nasarawa United in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Market

Sunusi Audu is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Nasarawa United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Joseph Nathaniel 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Market

GIF Sundsvall watching Eshimitu Gomino Eya

The interest is real enough to have reached print. Nasarawa United have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.

Player ratings

One of those days for Imo Ikemdinachi

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.66, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Izuchuckwu Chimezie

Marked 8.11 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Player ratings

Abubakar Garba runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 17. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Awal Auta

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

32 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

8 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Collins Onovughe keeps the receipts

“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Nasarawa United may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.

Match

Whatever happens, Nasarawa United do not lose

9 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.

Squad

Joseph Nathaniel stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Joseph Nathaniel and Nasarawa United agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Ameh Godwin was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Imo Ikemdinachi shuts the door

Defensive actions: 21, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Match

Umar Ada the difference as Nasarawa United beat Niger Tornadoes

Ask anyone on the way out what separated the sides and you will get one name: Umar Ada. 1‑0 against Niger Tornadoes, and the applause at the whistle was mostly his.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Umar Ada

Marked 8.51 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Player ratings

Ifeanyi Okechukwu shuts the door

Defensive actions: 18, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Player ratings

Nothing got past Chidera Nduka

Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 15 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.

In brief

29 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

15 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

The wait goes on for Nasarawa United

11 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.

Market

Chukwudi Okoro asks to leave Nasarawa United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Nasarawa United count the cost of losing Emmanuel Utaka

54 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.

Market

Eshimitu Gomino Eya is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Nasarawa United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Ameh Godwin 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Abubakar Garba runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 21. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Match

6 unbeaten for Nasarawa United

Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 6 matches without defeat is a foundation Nasarawa United did not have in the autumn.

Player ratings

One of those days for Umar Ada

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.76, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Squad

Chukwudi Okoro gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

27 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

1 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Nasarawa United's wait for a win

9 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Nasarawa United has to find a result from somewhere.

Market

Chukwudi Okoro is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Nasarawa United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Ameh Godwin keeps Nasarawa United in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Market

Olughu Chinemerem puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Nasarawa United, and it is not being withdrawn.

Squad

Eshimitu Gomino Eya says Nasarawa United went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Joseph Nathaniel was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Umar Ada

Successful dribbles: 19. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Market

Bendel Insurance watching Sunusi Audu

The interest is real enough to have reached print. Nasarawa United have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.

Player ratings

Chukwudi Okoro in the eights

A performance of 8.05 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

In brief

20 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

14 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Umar Ada stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Umar Ada and Nasarawa United agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

Joseph Nathaniel 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

Abubakar Abdullahi gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

6 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

7 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Chukwudi Okoro puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Nasarawa United, and it is not being withdrawn.

Market

Rivers United come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and Nasarawa United did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Squad

Joseph Nathaniel 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 Nasarawa United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

Joseph Nathaniel gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Boardroom

93% of the income goes out in wages at Nasarawa United

Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.

Player ratings

Chidera Nduka stands above it all

Some games turn on a moment; this one turned on a man. 7.38 on the card, and the Nasarawa United support went home talking about one name.

Squad

Chidera Nduka asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Match

Nasarawa United and Ikorodu City cancel each other out

Nil-nil, and few chances worth the name. Ikorodu City came to defend and left with exactly what they came for.

Squad

Chukwudi Okoro has taken the shirt

At 24 he is in the side on merit and somebody else is watching from the bench. Places at Nasarawa United are won quietly and lost loudly.

In brief

3 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

17 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

So close: Umar Ada’s move dies late

The fee was agreed and the flight was looked at — and then the phone stopped ringing. Chicago Fire moved on, Umar Ada reports back to Nasarawa United, and everybody pretends Monday is just Monday.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Izuchuckwu Chimezie

Successful dribbles: 27. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Market

Samuel Nnoli has one foot out of the door

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

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Joseph Nathaniel was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Emmanuel Utaka

Marked 8.31 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Market

A long bet from Nasarawa United on Goodness Gospel-Eze

He is 18, and nobody at Nasarawa United signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.

Squad

Goodness Gospel-Eze signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Goodness Gospel-Eze and Nasarawa United agree another 3 years.

Match

Honours even between Nasarawa United and Bendel Insurance

1‑1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Market

Bendel Insurance are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Nasarawa United will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

In brief

2 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

10 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Chukwudi Okoro puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Nasarawa United, and it is not being withdrawn.

Market

So close: Ameh Godwin’s move dies late

The fee was agreed and the flight was looked at — and then the phone stopped ringing. San Jose Earthquakes moved on, Ameh Godwin reports back to Nasarawa United, and everybody pretends Monday is just Monday.

Player ratings

Samuel Ogodo runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 27. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Market

Only the photograph left for Gozie Umeh

Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Gozie Umeh will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Nasarawa United the goodbyes have quietly begun.

Market

Chicago Fire watching Umar Ada

The interest is real enough to have reached print. Nasarawa United have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Joseph Nathaniel was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

Nasarawa United come up short against El-Kanemi Warriors

El-Kanemi Warriors left with the points after a 0‑2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

No hiding place for Chukwudi Okoro

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

Player ratings

A day to forget for Ifeanyi Okechukwu

Marked 5.72, and generously at that. Nothing came off, and by the end the crowd had stopped expecting it to.

In brief

1 Edition

The Nasarawa United Gazette

3 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Gozie Umeh asks to leave Nasarawa United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Eyes on Ameh Godwin again

The phone has started ringing about Ameh Godwin again, and this time the name on the line is San Jose Earthquakes. Nasarawa United are listening politely and promising nothing.

Squad

Ameh Godwin signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Ameh Godwin commits to Nasarawa United for another 4 years.

Squad

Tempers go at Nasarawa United

Ameh Godwin was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Hussaini Mubarak

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Idris Ajiya

Successful dribbles: 18. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Market

Nobody at Nasarawa United has picked up the phone to Emmanuel Utaka

49 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.

Market

Talks stall between Nasarawa United and Bright Ihionu

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

Match

Point won or two lost for Nasarawa United?

Ninety minutes, no goals, and the argument started before the car park emptied: a point gained, or two thrown away against Plateau United? Both sides of it will still be going on Thursday.

In brief