August 24, (THEWILL) – Akwa United FC caused a stir in the Nigerian football scene this week by announcing the signing of 23 new players ahead of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier League (NPL) season.
The club, now led by newly appointed coach, Fatai Osho, secured the services of players from across the NPFL. Most arrivals came from rival teams like Rangers International FC, Remo Stars FC, and Dakkada FC. Notable new additions include defender, Rilwan Sadiq, from Sunshine Stars FC, midfielder Chukwuebuka Anthony from Rangers, and striker Nurudeen Badmus from Dakkada FC.
While acquiring over 20 new players is highly unusual, Akwa United believes the talent injection will provide the depth and quality needed to launch a serious title challenge next season. The club is looking to drastically improve after finishing 4th in Group A of the abridged format of last season’s campaign and missing out on NPL Championship Group from where Enyimba emerged champions.
This mass player recruitment is reminiscent of Nottingham Forest’s strategy in the English Premier League this past season, where they signed 21 new players after promotion and managed to avoid relegation. Akwa United hopes for similar success with their ambitious roster overhaul.
With the new NPFL season kicking off in under a month, coach Osho now faces the tough task of integrating all the new signings into the squad. The ability to quickly build chemistry among this large influx of new players will likely determine whether this bold gamble pays dividends for the Promise Keepers.
The 23 new players signed include:
▫️Kufre Ebong
▫️Rilwan Sadiq [Sunshine Stars FC]
▫️Chukwuebuka Anthony [from Rangers Int’l FC]
▫️Oguntayo Seyi [from City FC]
▫️Nurudeen Badmus [from Dakkada FC]
▫️Opamaye Gbenga [from Remo Stars FC]
▫️Iniobong Nsima [gateway United FC]
▫️Osoba Kabir
▫️Hadi Mohammed [from Rangers Int’l FC]
▫️Mubarak Said [from Lobi Stars FC]
▫️Heutchou Gerome [from Katsina United FC]
▫️Ojo Dare [from PFK Marshall]
▫️Oddi Bobo [from Warri Wolves FC]
▫️Emmanuel James [from Yobe Desert stars]
▫️Akintunde Bala [from Shooting Stars SC]
▫️David Dennis [from Essien Ayi FC]
▫️Hakeem Otuyisa [from Warri Wolves FC]
▫️Édidiong Ezekiel [from Remo Stars FC]
▫️Babatunde Solomon [from Niger Tornadoes FC]
▫️William Sunday [from Kano pillars FC]
▫️Abdul Rasheed Abiodun [from Remo Stars FC]
▫️Oshomo Olalekan [from Crown FC]
▫️Samuel Ganda [from Bayelsa United FC]
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
