Niger Tornadoes Technical Adviser, Majin Mohammed, has cited player overconfidence and fatigue as key reasons behind his side’s disappointing 1-1 draw against league strugglers, Kun Khalifat FC, in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 7 encounter on Sunday.

 

The Ikon Allah Boys were expected to cruise to victory at home against the newly promoted side, who sit at the bottom of the league table. Things started brightly for the hosts when Abba Khalid unleashed a stunning 30-yard screamer midway through the first half, sending the home crowd into raptures.

 

However, the celebration didn’t last. In the 81st minute, a defensive mix-up in the Tornadoes’ box allowed Akuta Ugochukwu to pounce, slotting home a low shot past a helpless Ifeanyi Nchekube to level the scoreline.

 

Despite a late surge in search of a winner, Niger Tornadoes failed to break down the resilient visitors, who held firm to grab a valuable point on the road.

Speaking after the match, Coach Majin Mohammed expressed his disappointment with the result but acknowledged that his players took the opposition too lightly due to their position on the table.

 

“There was nothing wrong with our approach to the game, especially at home. The plan was to win,” he said. “But in football, three things are involved — you win, draw, or lose — no matter where you play. The players clearly underrated Kun Khalifat FC based on their league position, despite my warnings.”

 

Mohammed also pointed to fatigue as a contributing factor, citing the team’s travel schedule ahead of the match.

 

“We travelled to Port Harcourt, played on Wednesday, returned on Thursday night, and had no proper recovery time before today’s game,” he explained. “We could only manage a light shake-up session on Friday, using almost the same players.”

 

Despite the draw, the coach remained optimistic and called on fans to stay calm.

 

“We didn’t play badly, we just didn’t take our chances. That’s football for you. I appeal to our supporters to be calm. What we lost here, we can recover elsewhere. Other teams also dropped points at home, so we thank God for the one point.

Meanwhile, midfielder Abdulazeez Dalhatu was voted Man of the Match by the club’s supporters for his impressive all-round performance during the game.

 

Niger Tornadoes will now look to bounce back as they prepare for their next NPFL fixture.