Kun Khalifat FC head coach Obinna Uzoho is refusing to allow one difficult afternoon in Benin to define his team’s 2026/27 EuroMatch Nigeria Premier Football League campaign.

After watching Kun Khalifat suffer a 4-2 defeat to Bendel Insurance on Matchday Three, Uzoho’s message was not one of surrender or panic.

It was about work.

It was about improvement.

And, perhaps most importantly, it was about remembering just how much football remains to be played.

> “I’m going back home to make sure we put everything right. You know, this season has just gotten started.”

Those words capture the mentality of a coach who understands that the EuroMatch NPFL is a marathon and that one difficult result in September cannot be allowed to determine what happens over an entire campaign.

Uzoho also revealed the personal motivation driving him this season.

“I want to do more this season because last season was tough for me.”

Put the two statements together and the message becomes clear:

Last season provided the lessons. This season is his opportunity to respond.

From two clean sheets to six-goal reality check

Kun Khalifat travelled to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium with one of the most intriguing defensive records in the league.

They had played twice.

They had conceded zero goals.

Their opening encounter against Abia Warriors finished 0-0 before another goalless draw against Barau FC on Matchday Two.

Then Bendel Insurance changed everything.

The Benin Arsenal put four past Kun Khalifat in a dramatic 4-2 victory, ending the visitors’ perfect defensive record and handing them their first defeat of the campaign.

But hidden inside the disappointment was another first.

Kun Khalifat finally scored. Twice.

So Uzoho now returns home with something very specific to solve.

How does he recover the defensive discipline that produced consecutive clean sheets while retaining the attacking threat that finally appeared in Benin?

That could become one of the interesting tactical stories of their next few matches.

“This season has just gotten started”

Perhaps the most significant part of Uzoho’s reaction was his refusal to treat Matchday Three like a crisis.

Three games represent only a tiny fraction of an EuroMatch NPFL season.

There will be victories.

There will be defeats.

There will be afternoons when everything a coach planned works perfectly — and others when four goals disappear into his net.

What matters is what happens afterwards.

Uzoho’s response suggests he already understands his next assignment.

Go home. Identify what went wrong. Put it right. Go again.

That is football management stripped down to its essentials.

And his reference to last season adds a personal dimension.

Uzoho isn’t merely attempting to improve Kun Khalifat.

He wants to improve himself.

That makes his journey another one worth following as this EuroMatch NPFL campaign develops.

The league’s entertainment does not belong exclusively to the goalscorers.

Behind every result is a coach making decisions, dealing with pressure, protecting players, accepting criticism and trying to find an answer before the next whistle.

For Uzoho, the answer to a 4-2 defeat will not be found in Benin anymore.

It will be found back on the training ground.

And after only three Matchdays, he knows there is plenty of road remaining.

“I’m going back home to make sure we put everything right.”

That is the promise.

“This season has just gotten started.”

That is the warning.

For Kun Khalifat, the next chapter of their EuroMatch NPFL story begins with how Obinna Uzoho and his players respond.

Nigerian stocks slid by 1.6 per cent last week, following profit-taking activities across all sectors except oil & gas.

The Insurance Index was worst hit, declining by 5.5 per cent, and remains the only sector index so far this year with a negative yield.

“Stocks with strong earnings, attractive valuations and consistent dividend payouts should also remain in focus,” investment bank United Capital Plc said in a note to investors ahead of the week.

This week, focus will shift to the primary market, where the landmark $1.6 billion initial public offering of Dangote Refinery will be commencing.

PREMIUM TIMES has assembled some stocks with sound fundamentals, adopting rigorous approaches to save you the risk of picking equities at random for investment.

The pick, a product of an analytical market watch, offers a guide to entering the market and taking strategic positions, with the expectation that selected stocks will record reasonable price appreciation with the passage of time.

This is not a buy, sell or hold recommendation but a stock investment guide. You may need to involve your financial advisor before taking investment decisions.

Transnational Corporation (Transcorp)

Transcorp tops this week’s list for its strong fundamentals and for trading below its intrinsic value. The net profit ratio (NPR) of the conglomerate is 24.7, while the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio is 4.5x. Its 10-day relative strength index (RSI) is 31.5.

AXA Mansard

AXA Mansard appears on the pick on the basis of its attractive fundamentals. The NPR of the insurer is 3.4, while the PE ratio is 29.8x, while the RSI is 47.3.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO)

GTCO makes the selection for its strong fundamentals and for trading below its intrinsic value. The banking group’s NPR is 37.4, while the PE ratio is 5.4x. Its RSI is 47.8.

ALSO READ: Stanbic IBTC, Mutual Benefits, Aradel top stock picks this week

NPF Microfinance Bank

NPF Microfinance Bank makes the cut for its sound fundamentals. The PE ratio of the micro-lender is 7.2x, while the RSI is 22.5.

Neimeth

Neimeth makes the cut for its sound fundamentals. The NPR of the pharmaceutical company is 12.2, while the PE ratio is 33.2x. The RSI is 40.8.