Enyimba is facing a familiar challenge as they begin their new NPFL campaign without last season’s top scorer, Chijioke Mbaoma. This marks the second year in a row the team has lost their leading goal-scorer, following Chukwuemeka Obioma’s departure after his impressive performance in the 2022/23 season.
With Mbaoma’s departure, Enyimba must now find a new source of goals as they prepare to face Heartland in the season opener this weekend. The team’s lack of firepower was exposed in recent friendlies, with a 0-0 stalemate against Akwa United and a 0-1 defeat to Rivers United. The question on everyone’s mind is: who will fill the scoring void?
Following two high-profile friendly matches, head coach Yemi Olanrewaju (aka Yema) acknowledged that the team still requires fine-tuning, particularly in the final third of the pitch. Although he expressed confidence that the team is 80% prepared for their league opener against rivals Heartland FC, he still echoed the obvious – that the strikers need to be up and running pronto.
“I think we are at 80 percent level ahead of our first game of the season. The only thing we need to work on now is our finishing. Defensively we are good. We played Akwa United and Rivers United away from and not much was created against us, I think that’s a decent one (defensively) from us. But we need to do more offensively – that’s the only area we lack now,” Olanrewaju said.
Out of the strikers who have left the People’s Elephant, Mbaoma stood out last season while MacBen Otika, Uche Collins, Tochukwu Emmanuel, Ngomere Chisom and Anthony Okachi did not make much of impact in terms of goals accounted for. None of the other strikers last season could muster four goals individually and that meant that spread of goals among our playing personnel was poor outside of Mbaoma’s 17 goals.
Notably, midfielders Eze Ekwutoziam and Elijah Akanni, who were not regular starters, emerged as the team’s joint-top scorers last season with four goals each. This highlights a significant gap in offensive production, as they trailed top scorer Mbaoma by 13 goals. This shortfall likely cost Enyimba a chance to contend for the title until the very end and ultimately led to the team missing out on a top-two finish, which would have secured a coveted CAF Champions League spot.
So who are the men that will now lead the attack in the absence of Mbaoma and others with the Heartland game fast-approaching? From the two friendly matches against Akwa United and Rivers United, it appears Olanrewaju prefers a two-man attack and to some extent has opted to settle for Joseph Atule and one of the new signings from Niger Tornadoes, Clinton Jephta.
If we are to combine the goals tally of both men from last season, it amounts to 11. Clinton netted eight times for Tornadoes – all from open play – Atule scored just three which many consider disappointing after his time at Lobi Stars about two seasons ago. However, I think the danger of playing both men as strikers is that they are natural wingers and will always drift out wide leaving that number 9 role vacant – meaning Enyimba might create chances but will lack that fox in the box to deal with it.
Olanrewaju also has Alade Muyiwa Balogun among his forwards but somehow, the former Smart City FC striker is yet to give the Enyimba selectors reasons to pick him ahead of others. He has remained a fringe player since joining the People’s Elephant last season.
Just maybe the NPFL record winners have a surprise up their sleeves for us after signing Ifeanyi Ihemekwele, who is not quite known the top-flight except for his eye-catching performances in the second tier in the Nigeria National League (NNL) with Ijebu United where he was signed from. Ihemekwele has been at Stationery Stores and Shooting Stars previously, so the scouts of the People’s Elephant might have seen something special in him to snap him up from the second tier.
When Enyimba’s first game of the season begins at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, surely Coach Olanrewaju will give us a firsthand preview of those he prefers in his attack in the opening stages of the campaign.
I’m curious to see which Enyimba player will rise to the challenge and replicate the success of Obioma and Mbaoma by the end of the season.”
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“George Akpayen is a seasoned journalist with over 25 years of experience covering the Nigeria Professional Football League. With a deep understanding of the league’s history and development, Mr. Akpayen offers expert insights and analysis. When he’s not reporting, he cheers on Enyimba FC. Follow him on Twitter @georgeakpayen for the latest updates and commentary on Nigerian football.
