Exclusive: Breaking The Jinx, Aliko Opens Up On Team's Title Prospects and Strategies For Success

As the Nigeria Premier Football League season heats up, Niger Tornadoes FC captain, Mustapha Aliko believes his team has the prospects of claiming their maiden Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL title.

Speaking exclusively to SportsBoom.co.za, the former Nigeria International stressed the need for Niger Tornadoes to adopt a more consistent and clinical approach to thier game if they want to win the league title.

"We have shown that we can beat any team in the league but we need to work on our mental toughness and ability to close out games."

NPFL TITLE PROSPECT

When asked about the team chances of winning the league title?, Aliko expressed optimism. "We have a strong squad and a good team spirit," he said. "We've been working hard in training, and I believe we have what it takes to win the league title."

THE POWER OF RESILIENCE

Asked about the strategies he believes the team should adopt to win the league?, His response was succinct and revealing: "Never say die attitude. "When you have a never say die attitude, you can overcome anything," he stated.

Aliko also emphasized the importance of consistency and teamwork in achieving success. "We need to be consistent in our performances and work together as a team," he said. "We also need to be clinical in front of goal and take our chances when they come."

REVERSING RECENT SLUMP

Niger Tornadoes FC have experienced a recent slump in home form, which has seen them drop valuable points. Aliko acknowledged the challenge but expressed confidence that the team can turn things around.

"We've been working on our home form, and I believe we can improve," he stated. "We need to be more clinical in front of goal and defend better as a team. "We need to make our home stadium a fortress.

"We need to create a hostile atmosphere for our opponents and pick up maximum points at home. Our fans have been fantastic, and we need to repay them with more wins at home."

He added: The team needs to stay focused and motivated throughout the season even when things are not going our way. "We (Tornadoes) must believe in ourselves and our abilities, and we need to work together as a team to achieve our goals. We cannot afford to drop points against smaller teams, we need to be more ruthless."

LACK OF CONTINUITY: A MAJOR CHALLENGE

Aliko also identified lack of continuity as a major challenge facing the team. "The problem of Tornadoes is lack of continuity in the team. "We have a new team every season, and it's hard to build a strong team when you have new players coming in every year."

BUILDING TEAM CHEMISTRY: A KEY CHALLENGE

He acknowledged that building team chemistry is a significant challenge, particularly with 80% of the team comprising new players. "We changed players every season, and you can't expect us to gel together in just a few games," he said. "We need time to understand each other's playing style, build trust, and develop a strong team spirit."

TIME AND PATIENCE: ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS

Aliko emphasized the importance of time and patience in building a successful team. "We can't expect to win the league in one or two games," he said. "We need to take it one game at a time, focus on our game plan, and execute it to perfection."

HARD WORK AND FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND

The goalkeeper highlighted the importance of hard work in achieving success. "You need to work hard and keep pushing yourself to be the best you can be."

He added: "If you can do that, you can achieve great things. It's not just about talent, it's about hard work, dedication, and perseverance."

"The team needs to maintain focus on the task at hand, rather than getting distracted by external factors. "We need to forget about the fans and do the business. "We need to focus on our game plan, execute it to perfection, and get the results we need."