Flying Eagles and El-Kanemi Warriors Coach, Ali Zubairu, during an interaction with sports writers on Monday in Ilorin
El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri head coach, Ali Zubairu, has credited the team’s current unbeaten run in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to strong team structure, rather than individual players’ development.
Speaking at an interactive session with newsmen on Monday in Ilorin, Zubairu emphasised that he was focused on building a robust, disciplined team where regular starters and bench players received the same intensity training and tactical preparation.
According to him, this is the key to El-Kanemi Warriors’ being the only unbeaten team after 10 games this season.
He noted that the team’s philosophy centered around training and discipline for all players, ensuring readiness across the squad, and regardless of starting status.
“We don’t build players; we build structure,” Zubairu stated, highlighting that such consistency had been instrumental in maintaining the team’s performance level.
Zubairu, however, noted that the ideal age for developing coachable players was 15 to 22 years.
He praised Kwara United as a prime example of a club investing in youths and urged fans to be patient with the team, as young players represent the future of the club and the league.
The coach also expressed gratitude to his mentors, including Kadir Ikhana, Abdul Maikaba, John Obuh, and Tunde Sanni.
He said their guidance shaped his coaching philosophy and approach, contributing to his career’s success.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Zubairu led Nigeria to emerge winners of WAFU-B U-20 championship in Togo, beating Ghana 2-1 to book a place in the 2025 U-20 AFCON in South Africa. (NAN)