Alhassan Abdalla said Warri Wolves’ first win of the 2026/2027 EuroMatch-NPFL season had given his side a much-needed boost after they defeated Kwara United 1-0 in Ozoro, Delta State.
Ezekiel Ejike scored eight minutes into the matchday four fixture to secure the Seasiders’ first three points of the campaign. The result moved Warri Wolves up to 17th in the standings with three points.
Abdalla, the former Heartland of Owerri manager, expressed his relief during the post-match press conference and thanked Almighty Allah for the victory.
“First and foremost, I have to give thanks to Almighty Allah that we have succeeded in beating Kwara United today,” Abdalla said when asked how he felt after claiming his first win of the season.
“They are a very difficult side, but we have won. We are happy that we have got our first three points of the season.”
The coach believes the result can help build confidence within a young squad and establish a winning mentality ahead of Wednesday’s matchday five away game against Niger Tornadoes.
“I’m happy we have won today. We now know how victory tastes in the 2026/2027 EuroMatch-NPFL season,” he said.
“By tomorrow, Monday 21 Sept, we will travel to Minna for the midweek game against Niger Tornadoes. Hopefully, we are going to pick some points, or a point, there.”
Abdalla warned, however, that the victory would not distract his team from the areas that still need improvement. He said Warri Wolves had identified technical weaknesses that must be addressed before the trip to Minna.
“We have seen some lapses in the Warri Wolves team and we are going to address them,” he said. “We are taking the games one after another. Now that we have overcome the Kwara United problem, we are going to focus on, or I should say face, the Niger Tornadoes problem.”
The coach said the team’s new-found belief could help it earn a result away from home.
“I hope we get something there, especially now that we have a winning mentality in the team,” he added.
Abdalla also called on Warri Wolves supporters to remain patient as the campaign develops. He pointed to the age of the squad and said improvement should come as the players gain more experience.
“For the fans, in the long run we have won, and we scored here at home. I want them to be patient with us,” he said.
“As you can see, we have a lot of young players in the team. As the season progresses, we are going to continue getting better with each game.”