2024/2025: The Stats of Enyimba’s Season

In football circles, they say the most important component of the matchday statistics is the scoreline – Win, Draw or Lose, the rest pale into insignificance at the final blast of the referees whistle. The shots on target, attempts on goal, possession, corners etc, become mere academic. I think it’s unfair to dismiss other critical metrics for measuring team performance, but it’s what it is – a winner takes all game, even when a win merely papers over cracks or gapping holes. My brief today is not to do a match review, but to look at the numbers that shaped or damaged Enyimba’s season.

However, I’m guided by the fact that football is a team sport, where the mantra is ” the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” And emphasis is placed on the collective,rather than the individual. However individuals make a team thrive in times of strife, with a moment of brilliance. We witnessed it firsthand with Clinton Jephta in Enyimba’s league opener against Heartland in Owerri. With the team trailing 1-0, he inspired a comeback win – providing an assist for the leveler and scoring a brace to seal a famous oriental derby victory.

His subsequent absence due to international engagements with the national U-20 team for long spells was sorely felt by all. Enter Joseph Atule. A battler who took matters into his hands later in the season and bailed out the team in some difficult situations. The evidence of his contribution can clearly be seen in multiple segments of the stats below, as that of others who stood up to be counted in defense of the club crest and name.

COMPETITION SUMMARY

NPFL (38) – Sixth
Federation Cup (3) – Round of 16
CAF Confederation Cup (8) – Group Stage

Number of matched played in all competitions – 49

Number of goals scored in all competitions – 52

Number of goals conceded in all competitions – 49

Overall League table
Played 38
Won 14
Draw 13
Loss 11
GF 38
GA. 35
GD 3
Points 55
Position 6th

Home League Table
Played 19
Won 10
Draw 8
Loss 1
GF 22
GA 10
GD 12
Points 38
Position 15th

Away League Table
Played 19
Won 4
Draw 5
Loss 10
GF 16
GA 25
GD -9
Points 17
Position 3rd

KEY STATISTICS

Appearance In All Competitions
Top five:

1. Innocent Gabriel – 35
2. Joseph Atule – 35
3. Ufere Chinedu – 35
4. Kalu Nweke – 34
5. Ifeanyi Ihemekwele – 33
6. Ani Ozoemena – 33

Starts In All Competitions
Top five:

1. Ani Ozoemena – 33
2. Innocent Gabriel – 32
3. Ufere Chinedu – 30
4. Kalu Nweke – 28
5. Ekene Awazie – 28

Goals In All Competitions
Top five:

1. Joseph Atule – 9
2. Ekene Awazie – 9
3. Ifeanyi Ihemekwele – 8
4. Brown Ideye – 5
5. Clinton Jephta – 3
6. Ufere Chinedu – 3

Hat-tricks
None

Brace/Double

Clinton Jephta (Heartland, Away NPFL)
Joseph Atule (Black Bulls,Home CAFCC)
Brown Ideye (Kwara United,Home NPFL)
Ekene Awazie(El Shama, Round of 64 Federation Cup)
Chidiebere Nnachi(El Shama,Round of 64 Federation Cup)

Leadership
Number of times as matchday captain

Pascal Eze – 21
Somiari Alalibo – 12
Chikamso Okechukwu – 6
Imo Obot – 4
Ekwutoziam Eze – 2
Ani Ozoemena – 1

Clean Sheets In All Competitions – 15
Ani Ozoemena – 11
Nathaniel Asibe – 3
Zalli Abdullahi – 1

Earliest Goal Scored
5 mins 40 secs: Joseph Atule (Black Bulls, Home CAFCC)

Latest Goal Scored
90+2 mins : Moses Adikwu (Ikorodu City, Home NPFL)

MILESTONE AND RECORDS
Goals in successive matches in a competition – 3 ( Ifeanyi Ihemekwele in CAFCC matchday 4 vs Black Bulls; matchday 5 vs El Masry; matchday 6 vs Zamalek)

Ever Present:
Innocent Gabriel starting every match (8) in the CAFCC, and playing in three different positions – Centre Back, Right Back and Defensive Midfield, in the course of the competition. Utility.

Biggest Win:
4-1 vs Black Bulls (Mozambique) , Home CAFCC.

Biggest Defeat:
3-0 , Black Bulls (Mozambique), Away CAFCC.

While Statistics do not show it all, like Aaron Levenstein stated in his famous quote –
“Statistics are like bikinis.What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital”.
However, what I take away from last season’s data is the staggering eight draws at home in the league. No top side worth it’s salt get so vulnerable at home and expect to be respected and feared by the opposition.

Aba lost its fear factor last term. A ground that once completed a domestic season without conceding a goal is now an all comers affairs. A no man’s land of sorts. I welcome the innovative ideas to create a family setting at the stadium for the fans. But there is urgent need to make Aba a fortress again. Both can coexist and yield the required fruits.