Akwa United beat Solution FC 2-1 in the finals of Conference B in April 2026 and still missed out on promotion by one point as Sporting Lagos finished 35 out of 36 and only the group winner was promoted. The 2020/21 NPFL champions therefore begin their second season in the Nigeria National League on Sunday, November 8, 2026. Eighteen players are new. The head coach is in his second season. Neither player’s salary has been disclosed. The block below, compiled by GoalBall on November 3, 2026, shows the club as it is.
| Club | Akwa United was founded in 1996 under the name Ibom Stars |
| League 2026/27 | Nigeria National League, Conference B |
| Head coach | Paul Offor, from August 20, 2025 |
| Home lands | Uyo County Stadium this season; Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (30,000) since 2014/15 |
| Last NPFL title | 2020/21 |
| Player salaries | None published; Nothing extends the ₦2 million NPFL minimum to the National League |
| First league match | Ekiti United at home, Sunday, November 8, 2026, 4:00 p.m |
One point less after eighteen games
Akwa United went down by 47 points on Sunday 25 May 2025.
It resulted in a 2-1 defeat at Heartland in Owerri on the final day. Nigeria football reported in September 2025 that the National League banned Akwa United, Heartland and other indebted clubs from registering for the 2025/26 season until outstanding fees, fines and contractual obligations are cleared. No figures have been published. The club played all season. Under Offor, they have won 11 of 18 games, drawn two and lost five. That’s 35 points in 1.94 games. Sporting Lagos have got 36, exactly two games from the same 18 matches and the difference is in draws and defeats as Sporting Lagos have drawn three and lost four while Akwa United have drawn two and lost five.
What players have earned and what no one else has posted
The National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation have on June 23, 2026 approved a minimum of ₦2 million per month for NPFL players from the 2026/27 season and commission chairman Shehu Dikko said “players should earn a living wage”. On October 30, 2026, the Central Bank of Nigeria exchange rate stands at $1,486 against $1,346. Nothing published extends it to the National League. A minimum staff of 30 people costs ₦60 million per month. That’s ₦720 million, about $535,000 a year.
The only player sums that Akwa United mentions are bonuses.
In May 2026, the club awarded midfielder Paulinus Okon ₦1 million, approximately $743, as player of the season. Michael Okenwa earned ₦1.5 million, about $1,114, as top scorer with five goals. The bigger earners are in our guide to the highest paid players in the Nigerian league.
Two pitches in one city
The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium holds 30,000 spectators. Since the 2014/15 season, it has been the listed home of Akwa United after the club moved there after the old Uyo Township Stadium was deemed unfit for league football. The old place is this season’s business address. A pre-season friendly against Godswill Akpabio United on 2nd October 2026 has been fixed here. Ekiti United will visit the same ground on November 8.
Rivers United use the large stadium for continental matches.
Their sole administrator, Christopher Green, announced the move in September 2026. This was before the San Pedro match on September 13th. He called Uyo “our second home” and the only natural grass pitch in Nigeria certified by CAF. Every top spot is in our guide to NPFL clubs and stadiums.
Offor, Osho and eighteen new players
As we reported, Fatai Osho was appointed in June 2023. He left the club after that. ASVO of Benin Republic sacked him on October 24, 2025 after one point from four games, Sports247 reports. Paul Offor started coaching on August 20, 2025. He was promoted to Sporting Lagos in the 2023/24 season. He won three consecutive National League Coach of the Month awards for December, January and February. The summer recovery brought eighteen players. 14 of them were presented on October 14, 2026, and eight more on November 3. The four most popular are listed below.
| Player | From | Position | Date reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Cole | Godswill Akpabio United | Goalkeeper | October 14, 2026 |
| Don’t kill Godwin | Enugu Rangers | midfielder | October 14, 2026 |
| Cammonke Willie | Ikorodu city | not reported | November 2, 2026 |
| Damadou Frank | Cavalier (Republic of Benin) | not reported | November 2, 2026 |
Fourteen others came from Abia Comets, Ikorodu City, Nasarawa United and Doma United and ten more from smaller clubs and academies namely Ozala Academy, Blackpool Academy, FC One Rocket, Morak FC, Hephzibah FC, Adoration FC, KMK FC, Maverick FC, Reign FA and Reign FA.
The return journey begins on November 8
The season opened on Sunday November 1, 2026 with Heartland against Crown FC in Conference A, a week before Akwa United’s first game. The score from the friendly match is not in our records.
| History | Encounter | Competition | Location or record |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Solution FC 1-2 Akwa United | NNL Conference B, final stage 2025/26 | Far away |
| October 2, 2026 | Akwa United – Godswill Akpabio United | Pre-season friendly | Uyo township stadium |
| November 1, 2026 | Heartland – Crown FC | NNL Conference A, season opener | Does not participate |
| November 8, 2026 at 4:00 p.m | Akwa United – Ekiti United | NNL Conference B, first match | Uyo township stadium |
Our vision
Eighteen signings have been added to a side that averages 1.94 points a game under a coach who has won three consecutive months of awards, and April’s one-point loss is the kind of margin by which deeper benches are usually closed.
The promotion will bring with it a floor of ₦2 million. A club banned from registration due to outstanding liabilities in September 2025 will then carry a 30-man squad bill of ₦720 million a year and no one at Akwa United has said how it will be met. The budget deserves an answer before the promotion race is decided.
This article was last revised and updated 14 seconds ago