Samson Asumah, captain of Police Machine Men’s Hockey Club, has charged his team to remain focused and bounce back stronger in their subsequent matches at the ongoing 2026 Nigeria Hockey Super League (NHSL) in Abuja.
Asumah stated this on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the National Hockey Pitch of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
He said that the team remained disciplined and united despite the result and would improve in subsequent games.
“We are well organised as a team, and we remain so. In sports, when two strong sides meet, one must give way.
“We thank God for the matches so far. It was a good game, but not the result we wanted,” he said.
He admitted that his side fell short against defending champions Kada Stars Hockey Club after trailing 2–0 in the first quarter but insisted the team gave their best before eventually losing 5-1.
“We tried everything possible, but it didn’t work out. However, I charge my team to stay focused.
“We have experience and skill, and we will come back stronger in the next match,” he said.
NAN reports that Police Machine started their campaign with mixed results in the competition, including a 9–1 win over I-GP Flickers Hockey Club, a 0–0 draw with Plateau Tigers, a 3–2 win over Yobe Desert Rollers, a 2–0 victory over South West, and a 5–1 loss to Kada Stars.
In a separate reaction, Abubakar Ndana, Team Manager of Kada Stars and Kada Queens Hockey Clubs, said his players were initially disappointed after conceding a goal but quickly regained their composure.
“The players were not happy about conceding a goal, but I told them that it is part of the game.
“They have the experience and are still maintaining an unbeaten run,” Ndana said.
Other results in the men’s category saw I-GP Flickers draw 2–2 with Adamawa State, South West share the spoils in a 1–1 draw with Stallions, while Niger Flickers Hockey Club secured a convincing 5–0 win over Yobe Desert Rollers.
In the women’s category, Kada Queens recorded a 3–0 win over Delta Queens, Edo Queens played out a 1–1 draw with Yobe Desert Queens, while I-GP Babes fell 1–3 to South West.
NAN reports that Police Machine will play Stallions Hockey Club on Thursday at 4 p.m., while Kada Stars will face Adamawa State at 2 p.m.
A total of nine teams, including Kada Stars, Plateau Tigers, Police Machine, Niger Flickers, Stallions, Adamawa State, Yobe Desert Rollers, I-GP Flickers, and South West, are competing in the men’s category of the tournament.
The 2026 Nigeria Hockey Super League, which began on June 26, is scheduled to end on July 5 in Abuja.
The final round of matches is expected to determine the league standings, with teams aiming to finish the competition on a strong note as the championship concludes in Abuja.
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