El-Kanemi Warriors promise NNL readiness after NPFL relegation

El-Kanemi Warriors finished 19th in the 2026 Nigeria Professional Football League with 42 points from 37 matches. Their record was 11 wins, nine draws and 17 defeats, with 26 goals scored and 46 conceded.

Assistant coach Ishaq Hussain Goni says the Borno club will be ready for the new Nigeria National League season. El-Kanemi were relegated from the NPFL last season but secured the 2026 President Federation Cup, earning a place in continental competition.

Goni said the club had recruited players capable of representing El-Kanemi effectively. He added that preparations had been intensified and that the squad was being built to deliver a stronger campaign than expected.

The team’s recent results offer a mixed picture. El-Kanemi beat Wikki Tourist 3-1 and won 1-0 away at Sokoto, before drawing 3-3 at Bendel Insurance. They then lost 3-0 at Enyimba and drew 0-0 with Niger Tornadoes.

Goni has placed promotion at the centre of the NNL plans, with El-Kanemi aiming to claim one of the available places in the Premier League. He also said the club’s ambitions extend beyond the domestic campaign, with a target of making progress in Africa.

El-Kanemi’s next listed fixture is against Udib in the CAF Confederation Cup on September 5, 2026. The match will form part of the club’s return to continental football after its Federation Cup triumph.