Cross River Ikan owner and player Utibe Ayi has broken her silence following another difficult stretch in the Showtime Bowl Series XIV, insisting the team remains focused on growth and still believes a playoff place is within reach despite recent setbacks.
The Cross River Ikan have endured a challenging period in the closing stages of the regular season. After suffering a crushing 46–13 defeat to the Delta Braves, Ikan followed it with another painful loss that saw them slip further in the standings and increase pressure on their postseason hopes.
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Against the Braves, Ikan struggled to contain an aggressive offense as Delta produced one of their sharpest performances of the campaign, full of confidence, speed, and attacking precision. The result lifted the Braves from eighth to seventh place and kept their playoff ambitions alive, while Ikan’s own wildcard hopes became more complicated.
But despite the growing pressure, Utibe Ayi remains defiant.
“I don’t want to talk too much about this game,” she admitted after the latest setback.
“But I can assure you of one thing — we are still in the building process.”
As owner and active player, Ayi has become one of the emotional faces of the franchise, carrying both leadership responsibility and competitive expectations in one of Nigeria’s toughest flag football environments.
While many teams in Showtime are chasing immediate success, Ayi insists Cross River Ikan are focused on building something sustainable.
“The wildcard is still possible for us. I believe we can still make the playoffs,” she added.
The statement reflects the mindset inside the Ikan camp — a team refusing to surrender despite inconsistency and mounting pressure as the season nears its climax.
With the regular season almost over, every remaining game now carries playoff intensity, and for teams like Ikan, survival depends not only on results but belief.
And even after heavy defeats, Utibe Ayi is making one thing clear:
Cross River Ikan may still be building…
but they are not backing down from the Showtime playoff fight.
