Two-time African Champions and the most successful football in Nigeria, Enyimba football club of Aba is currently heading to relegation in the Nigeria Professional Football league, NPFL.
The people's elephant as the club is fondly called sits at 17 position with 33 points after 29 matches. Instructively, should the league end today, Enyimba will automatically be relegated. This is an anticlimax to a club of that repute.
Unfortunately, the poor form of the club is not unconnected with two factors. Firstly, the givernment of Abia state made the worst decision to have appointed Nwankwo Kanu as the Sole administrator of the club, over two and half years ago. While the legendary Papilo is arguably one of the finest soccer players Nigeria has ever produced, he has zero experience in club management. Unfortunately, all efforts aimed at drawing the attention of the governor to this obvious fact, has fell on deaf ears. While the governor has retained faith with Kanu, the fortune of the club has continued to take an embarrassing hit towards abyss.
Secondly, one may argue that the government is strategically plotting, albeit indirectly, to ensure that Enyimba is indeed relegated. This narrative is not unconnected with the fact that Abia State has two top-flight teams: Enyimba FC and Abia Warriors. Just like what happened in Rivers State a few years ago where the state government took a decision to collapse Dolphin FC and Sharks of Port Harcourt to form Rivers United, the Abia State government might be thinking along the lines of merging Enyimba and Abia Warriors for economic or financial reasons.
Whatever might be the pulse of the state government, Enyimba should not be relegated nor disbanded. For the record, Enyimba FC is not just a football club; it is a religion, a tradition, a symbol of resilience, and an identity and heritage of a people. The club represents the Aba spirit and must not be allowed to go into oblivion irrespective of any economic rationalization.
The time to save Enyimba FC is NOW!
The people's elephant as the club is fondly called sits at 17 position with 33 points after 29 matches. Instructively, should the league end today, Enyimba will automatically be relegated. This is an anticlimax to a club of that repute.
Unfortunately, the poor form of the club is not unconnected with two factors. Firstly, the givernment of Abia state made the worst decision to have appointed Nwankwo Kanu as the Sole administrator of the club, over two and half years ago. While the legendary Papilo is arguably one of the finest soccer players Nigeria has ever produced, he has zero experience in club management. Unfortunately, all efforts aimed at drawing the attention of the governor to this obvious fact, has fell on deaf ears. While the governor has retained faith with Kanu, the fortune of the club has continued to take an embarrassing hit towards abyss.
Secondly, one may argue that the government is strategically plotting, albeit indirectly, to ensure that Enyimba is indeed relegated. This narrative is not unconnected with the fact that Abia State has two top-flight teams: Enyimba FC and Abia Warriors. Just like what happened in Rivers State a few years ago where the state government took a decision to collapse Dolphin FC and Sharks of Port Harcourt to form Rivers United, the Abia State government might be thinking along the lines of merging Enyimba and Abia Warriors for economic or financial reasons.
Whatever might be the pulse of the state government, Enyimba should not be relegated nor disbanded. For the record, Enyimba FC is not just a football club; it is a religion, a tradition, a symbol of resilience, and an identity and heritage of a people. The club represents the Aba spirit and must not be allowed to go into oblivion irrespective of any economic rationalization.
The time to save Enyimba FC is NOW!
