Abia Warriors technical adviser Imama Amapakabo has declared his squad fully prepared for the new Nigeria Premier Football League season, with the club set to open their campaign at home against Oriental derby rivals Kun Khalifat FC on Sunday.

A race that starts at the first stride

Imama, a former Super Eagles assistant coach, has made it clear that a strong opening run of fixtures is essential to any successful campaign. He compared the 38-game NPFL season to a 400-metre race, framing the first nine matches as the opening 100 metres — a stretch that cannot be wasted.

"It's always important to start on a good footing," he told the club's media. "We've talked about it as players and as individuals. Everyone understands what it means to begin with a win."

Breaking the season into segments, Imama noted that the first nine games carry 27 of the 114 points available across the campaign. His aim is to accumulate as many of those points as possible before making any mid-course adjustments.

"But the key thing is to start well," he added.

Translating pre-season work into results

Sunday's Oriental derby will give Imama his first opportunity to see how much of his tactical philosophy his players have absorbed since pre-season began. He is particularly focused on improvement in the final third, where converting chances proved a persistent problem — both in pre-season and throughout last season.

"In the final third especially, I want to see better coordination," he said. "Converting chances was one big challenge for us in pre-season. It was also an issue for us last season, and correcting that is one of my main targets this season."

Attacking football — regardless of personnel

Abia Warriors have lost several key players from last season's squad and are in the process of rebuilding. Imama, however, is not prepared to compromise on his attacking identity. He has been integrating new arrivals into his defensive structure while making no concessions to his offensive approach.

"My approach has always been clear," he stated. "If you score 15 against me and I score 18, I will still win. I'm an attacking-minded coach. I tell the players all the time that I'm not afraid of losing, but I don't want to lose. We will play my way."

Imama plans to use the opening nine-game block as a diagnostic period — assessing where the squad stands, identifying weaknesses, and deciding what reinforcements may be needed as the season develops.