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| Kun Khalifat FC 1st Eleven |
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Matchday 10 home fixture against Inter Lagos at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Okoro outlined a measured approach that prioritises routine and incremental steps over short-term panic.
“For us as a team we’re taking every game the way it comes, everything has its own step, that’s what we’ll do as a team, follow our routine in every match,” the defender told the club’s media.
The message comes at a critical juncture. After nine matches Kun Khalifat sit 17th with nine points from two wins, three draws and four losses, having scored eight goals and conceded 15 for a goal difference of –7.
Inter Lagos, also promoted and currently bottom, arrive with just two points after a three-point and three-goal deduction for an assault on match officials following their draw with Katsina United. A victory would lift the home side clear of the immediate relegation places and provide breathing space in a congested lower half of the 20-team table. npfl.com.ng
From rapid rise to survival mode
Kun Khalifat’s presence in the top flight remains remarkable for a club founded only in 2020 by businessman Michael Chukwudi Amaefula.
Starting in the third-tier Nigeria Nationwide League One, the side secured promotion to the Nigeria National League, returned to claim another NLO title, and earned a historic first NPFL berth in 2025 after finishing strongly in the Southern Conference play-offs. They play their home games at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, Imo State, and have positioned themselves as a private club in a league long dominated by state-backed teams.
Their debut 2025/26 campaign ended in a dramatic late escape from relegation, built on a strong second half of the season and shrewd recruitment after key departures. That experience of fighting for survival appears to be informing the current squad’s mentality. Early results this term mixed promise with heavy setbacks: a 5-0 thrashing at Rivers United was followed by a 1-0 home win over Kwara United, a narrow away loss to Niger Tornadoes, a 2-0 victory against Shooting Stars, and a hard-earned 1-1 draw at Doma United on 17 October.
The point in Gombe came at a cost—technical adviser Obinna Uzoho was reportedly attacked after the final whistle, prompting the club to appeal publicly for better protection of players and officials on the road.
Okoro himself has featured regularly since joining from Bendel Insurance. The defender’s emphasis on process echoes a pragmatic philosophy often necessary for newly promoted sides that lack the financial depth or established squad depth of traditional powerhouses. In the NPFL, where consistency is rare and travel, pitch conditions and occasional crowd issues can disrupt preparation, maintaining a fixed routine offers psychological stability.
The stakes against Inter Lagos
Sunday’s meeting pits two sides still finding their feet in the elite division. Inter Lagos have struggled for goals and results, and the points deduction has left them isolated at the bottom.
Kun Khalifat’s home record has been relatively stronger, and the Dan Anyiam crowd has previously provided a boost—most notably during their survival run last season.
A win would take the hosts to 12 points and potentially several places higher depending on other results. Failure to take maximum points, however, would leave them still looking over their shoulders with more than two-thirds of the campaign remaining. The broader table remains competitive in the lower reaches: Enyimba and Ranchers Bees sit just behind on eight points, while Abia Warriors and Shooting Stars are within touching distance above. Rivers United and Enugu Rangers currently lead the way on 17 points, underlining the gulf that can open between the top and the survival group.
Process as a survival strategy
Okoro’s comments reflect a deliberate rejection of result-driven anxiety that can infect dressing rooms when points are scarce. By focusing on “every game the way it comes” and sticking to established routines—training patterns, match-day preparation, tactical shape—the squad aims to control the controllables. This approach has historical precedent in Nigerian football: several promoted sides have stabilised by prioritising organisation and mentality over ambitious attacking play early in their top-flight journeys.
For a private club still building infrastructure and commercial foundations, every point carries extra weight. Owner Amaefula has previously spoken about the financial demands of NPFL football, and the need for sustainable operations remains real. On the pitch, the current crop must convert home advantage and the opponent’s vulnerability into tangible progress.
As the teams prepare to trade tackles in Owerri, Okoro’s words serve as both public statement and internal reminder. Kun Khalifat are not yet out of danger, but they are choosing to measure progress one match, one routine, one step at a time. Whether that steady philosophy yields the points required to climb the table will become clearer on Sunday afternoon.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers Global, News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Politics and Technology.
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