NPFL: Abia Warriors Top Scorer Obioma Laments CAFCC Hopes Collapse After Kun Khalifat Defeat

Emeka Obioma, Abia Warriors’ leading scorer, has lamented his side’s missed opportunity to finish the campaign among the top three teams on the final-day table — a feat that would have earned them a place in the 2026/2027 CAF Confederation Cup, Completesports.com reports.

Obioma is Abia Warriors’ top scorer with 11 goals so far this season.

Abia Warriors hovered in the third and fourth positions on the table for a greater part of the season, raising hopes of a top-three finish in the campaign.

But expectations of a possible return to the CAF second-tier inter-club competition, the CAF Confederation Cup, were shattered on Sunday in Aba following a 0-2 defeat to visiting Kun Khalifat FC.

Also Read: NPFL: Abia Warriors Suspend Amapakabo, Orji As Shorunmu Takes Interim Charge

Following the defeat, Abia Warriors have now dropped to seventh position on the standings with 55 points going into the final match of the season.

And Obioma described the situation as “unfortunate”, adding that it was painful the team lost grip at the “wrong time” of the campaign.

“It’s very unfortunate, very painful, I must say,” Obioma lamented. “We held strongly to our dream throughout the season but sadly lost grip at the wrong time.

“That’s how cruel football can be at times. We never saw that defeat against Kun Khalifat coming. And that was the major blow we suffered — a disappointment, one must say.

“It’s not as if we were outplayed. It wasn’t as if we didn’t get our chances to score. It just turned out to be a bad day for us in the office.”

Following the defeat and the lost chance of a possible top-three finish, a disappointed Abia Warriors management, headed by Coach Sam John Obuh, promptly slammed an indefinite suspension on Head Coach Imama Amapakabo and his assistant, Bethel Orji.

Also Read: Obioma Targets Second NPFL Top Scorer Award With Abia Warriors

Former Super Eagles and Besiktas of Turkey goalkeeper, Ike Anubi Shorunmu, was named Abia Warriors’ interim manager to oversee the club until the end of the season.

Abia Warriors will travel to face Warri Wolves in their final match of the 2025/2026 NPFL season — a Matchday 38 fixture slated for Ozoro on Sunday, 24 May 2026.