By: Odieh Ramon.
Bayelsa United technical adviser, Abdul Maikaba, says the club has a clear mandate: return to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) at the end of the 2026/27 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.
Speaking after a preseason victory over De Go-Pro FC of Sapele, Maikaba said the Yenagoa-based Prosperity Boys are fully focused on the task ahead as the NNL gets set to kick off on Saturday, October 31.
The season opener will feature Heartland of Owerri taking on Crown FC of Ogbomosho, the league announced during its AGM in Owerri.
“I am satisfied with the display and the way they played,” Maikaba told journalists. “But the truth is, we are assessing the players because we are recruiting. We are looking to see who will add value to the team, and any player who will not add value, we will let him go.”
The former Kano Pillars boss signed a one-year deal specifically to take Bayelsa United back to the elite division.
“We have more than sixty players in camp. We are gradually trimming down to our maximum of 35,” he explained. “With quality games and proper training, we will pick the best. That is why I have a one-season contract — to do the job in one year.”
Maikaba stressed that Bayelsa United will not shy away from any opponent in the abridged campaign.
“We are in the NNL to face any team. We are not here to handpick opponents. Any team we are drawn with, we are ready to face. The target is to qualify for the Premier League in one season.”
The Prosperity Boys find themselves in what many consider the toughest group.
Conference B pits Bayelsa United against: Beyond Limit FA(Ogun), Solution FC (Anambra), Akwa United (Akwa Ibom), Smart City FC (Lagos), Right-2-Win FC (Abia), Dokka Khairu FC (Osun), Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi), and Ekiti United (Ekiti).
The club says more quality friendly matches will be used to fine-tune the squad and identify weaknesses before the October kickoff.
