As the sun set on another thrilling season, one can best describe this as being marked by significant transitions and unexpected turns. The Abia State Government’s bold move to appoint the legendary Kanu Nwankwo as chairman signaled a new era for the club.
Big shoes regardless of how you look at it. Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu after his remarkable two-decade-plus-long tenure, had become the face of Enyimba- from the early days to the Continental conquests and then the slow later days- Enyimba was indeed in need of a reinvention. Enter, Papilo- Kanu Nwankwo, one of Nigeria’s most decorated and successful ex-footballers.
Kanu brought in another ex-International Ifeanyi Ekwueme as the sporting director and they introduced fresh sponsorship deals—four in total, a commendable feat in the Nigerian football landscape and a new kit maker KK (we’ll talk about this later but not today).
Focus today is on how the team fared on the pitch –
Management and Coaching Changes:
Finidi George began the season in what was expected to be his final year with Enyimba. However, his departure to coach the Super Eagles left the reins in the hands of his capable assistant, Olarenwaju Yemi Daniel, who was there as the assistant when we won the league title in Lagos last year, now the official head coach. This shift in leadership brought a bit of continuity and fresh energy to the club’s tactical approaches.
Grade: B
Player Performance and Transitions:
The goalkeeper position saw a dynamic rotation, with Ojo Olorunleke balancing his commitments between Enyimba and the Super Eagles. This opened opportunities for Ani Ozoemena and Bassa Djeri, while Frank Boateng remained a presence on the bench leaving the fans guessing of his reliability whenever he appears on the bench as game time eluded him with reckless abandon. Besides Ojo, I bet no Enyimba fan will tell me who was the second choice (based on performance). All we saw was a deserved first choice and then a fourth choice and maybe a favoured 2nd class upper and a 2nd class lower that isn’t really different from the former.
Grade: B-
The defence faced challenges, notably with Chibuike Nwaiwu’s transition from midfield to defense amidst an injury-laden season, proving to be the masterstroke. He seamlessly slotted into the back line as injury ravaged the defence line. Assistant captain, Somiari Alalibo and Uwana Asuquo’s performances were bright spots in an otherwise largely unconvincing back line.
Grade: C
In midfield, the youthful vigor of Daniel Daga and Izuogu Chibueze combined seamlessly with Eze Happy Ekwutoziem’s athleticism and Ikenna Cooper’s seasoned guidance. However, the winds of change are blowing, with Daga the sole midfielder remaining as others embark on new adventures elsewhere. There were the wing wizards who failed to fly and the ever exciting Elijah Akanni who also shone on his days. This was unarguably our strongest department on the pitch underlining the new pattern of possession-style football introduced by Finidi and continued by Yemi Daniel.
Grade: B
Chijioke Mbaoma’s golden boot victory underscored the attack‘s potential, though the forward line struggled with consistency. Despite the additions of Alade Balogun and a few others, goals were sparse, highlighting an area ripe for future enhancement. We always do seem to struggle in attack annually, don’t we? Pretty sure our new gaffer is consulting his Coaching texts in hopes of a solution.
Grade: C
Overall Season Performance:
Enyimba’s quest to defend their league title was a nail-biter, only to be thwarted by controversial incidents in Aba against Doma United and Enugu against oriental rivals, Enugu Rangers. (Coach Yemi must have a photo of Rangers lifting the title somewhere in the dressing room to inspire the boys on the task at hand). These two incidents affected our momentum and ultimately lead to a third-place finish. A sluggish start to the season transformed into a dominant midseason surge, especially on the road. Yet, our home form woes remained a stumbling block in our title aspirations. Midseason acquisitions injected vigor but fell short of steering us to the top. We never conceded this year until the run-in which is an area that requires more psychological input from the coach and his backroom staff. As usual, our Federation Cup run, however, remained elusive, mirroring previous years’ disappointments. In Contrast to previous years, Enyimba did seem to end the season rather weakly.
Grade: C
Fan Engagement and Community Involvement:
The heart and soul of Enyimba, its fans, were celebrated through various community initiatives and social media contests. The partnership with the Kanu Heart Foundation for charitable visits underscored the club’s commitment to social responsibility. However, Matchday hospitality must be improved. Fans deserve a safe space to come with our family and friends to relax and watch our darling team. Security needs to remain heightened but not at the expense of a serene, safe environment.
It is a new era at Enyimba, albeit the dyke has been raised already. Kanu and his team know Enyimba belongs at the very summit both on the local and Continental front. We are perennial champions and irrespective of what we achieve, we will always hunger for more!
‘Enyimba Enyi
