Plateau United head coach Gbenga Ogunbote has urged his team to quickly learn from their opening-day setback and restrategise after Rivers United secured a 2-0 victory over the Jos-based side in Port Harcourt.
Speaking after the EuroMatch NPFL season opener at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Ogunbote reflected on the avoidable errors that contributed to the defeat, while insisting that his players must take the lessons from the encounter and use them to improve in their next outing.
“We have to restrategise,” Ogunbote said, as the experienced coach turned his attention towards the response required from his team rather than dwelling on the disappointment of losing their first game of the campaign.
Plateau United were unable to find a way past a disciplined Rivers United side, with Abdulrasheed Dabai opening the scoring in the sixth minute before Wasiu Falolu doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 38th minute.
The early setback forced Plateau United to chase the game, but Rivers United remained organised enough to protect their advantage and begin the new campaign with a convincing three points.
For Ogunbote, the defeat offered a clear picture of areas that need immediate attention.
The coach’s assessment centred on the errors that could have been avoided and the need for greater concentration as Plateau United prepare for their next challenge.
Rather than treating the result as a reason for panic, Ogunbote sees the opening fixture as an opportunity for his players to understand what went wrong and make the necessary adjustments.
That response will be crucial in a league where there is little room for repeated mistakes.
The EuroMatch NPFL season is still in its infancy, and one defeat does not define a campaign. But for Plateau United, the Port Harcourt experience has provided an early warning about the level of concentration and efficiency required to compete successfully.
Ogunbote will now expect his players to turn those lessons into action when they return to the pitch.
The experienced tactician knows that the best response to an opening-day defeat is not words alone, but improvement on the pitch.
For Plateau United, therefore, the message from their coach is clear: identify the mistakes, learn from them, restrategise and respond.
And as the EuroMatch NPFL gathers momentum, Ogunbote and Plateau United have their first opportunity to show that the lessons from Port Harcourt have not been wasted.
