It’s another weekend of football across the globe. In the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Enyimba will play hosts to new boys, Ikorodu City, at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba on Sunday. Ikorodu City are gradually settling into the championship after being battered by every Dick, Tom and Harry in their first set of games but their first-ever visit to Aba should be a different proposition to them.
Talk of a different plan ahead of the coming matches, Enyimba head coach, Yemi ‘Yema’ Olanrewaju, might need one as early as the next Matchday of the NPFL. Reason? Just like you read here yesterday, we are one of the nine clubs facing withdrawal of the licences of new signings owing to indebtedness to former players and coaches. Something that was forewarned and now has a definite day of reckoning. Sad
In Enyimba’s case brought up at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Players Status/Arbitration Committee breached contract terms with Stephen Chukwude and Chijioke Akuneto to the tune of N5 million and N1.2 million respectively. The league body in its latest communication with Enyimba made it clear they have “exhausted the grace period” and enforcement will now take place if they fail to resolve the issues before Matchday 10 which begins November 2.
The NPFL has stated that Enyimba will no be allowed to feature 18 new signings should they fail to comply with the decision of the NFF Players Status/Arbitration Committee. Their players’ licences will be withdrawn indefinitely and only restored once there is compliance. So who are the players who will be barred from playing for Enyimba? Almost everyone!
Nathaniel Asibe, Divine Ukadike, Fatai Abdullahi, Wasiu Jimoh, Christian Nnaji, Ikedinachi Imo, Kalu Nweke, Francis Odinaka, Ismail Sarki, Austine Onyemaechi, Moses Adikwu, Chukwudi Nwaodu, Clinton Jephtha, Zalli Abdullahi, Chinedu Ufere, Ani Chigozie, Chidera Collins Ezeh and Ifeanyi Ihemekwele have been listed as players whose licences to feature for Enyimba will be withdrawn until the club pay outstanding debt of ₦6.2million to Chukwude and Akuneto.
I am sure Yema will decide not to look at this 18-man list because a bulk of his key players will be affected should Enyimba fail to meet the Friday deadline before Matchday 10. Yes, a few of Enyimba’s new signings this season have looked more like squad players so far, may be due to poor form or difficulty in adapting to the team style or environment. But this cannot be said of Ihemekwele, Ufere, Nweke, and Clinton (away on international duty). Fatai Abdullahi have also gotten more game time than a lot of the old faces. All these guys have made differences this season since joining the club. Now, that’s not all, Onyemaechi who scored an important winner on his debut is on that list. There’s also Sarki, Ukadike, Wasiu Jimoh, Nnaji, Chigozie, Adukwu and Nwaodu as players who are yet to find their feet and have often been substitutes rather than starters.
One area, Yema will also have a dilemma if the sanction stays is the goalkeeping position. Ozoemena now appears to have cemented his place as number one in recent games but this decision from the NFF committee will mean the other two experienced goalkeepers, Zalli Abdullahi and Asibe will be unavailable to provide cover for Ozoemena in the event of suspension or injury which is one of the many realities in football.
However, there is something Yema can do in the selection of his starters. He will still have quite a decent pool of playing personnel to pick from barring suspension, injury or ill-health. There’s still Daniel Daga, Joseph Atule, Alalibo Somiari, Imo Obot, Paschal Eze, Innocent Gabriel, Eze Ekwutoziam, Ekene Awazie, Alade Balogun, Elijah Akanni, Unwana Asuquo, Bernard Ovoke and Ozoemena who are key men to make his selection from. The big headache will be his options on the bench.
Guys, let’s not put the cart before the horse and overthink something that we know can be easily handled and hope the Enyimba management finds a way to resolve this ₦6.2 million debt before the trip to Yenegoa and save the club from further slipping away from the early pacesetters in the NPFL, and even more importantly, shame—something we detest as Enyimba fans.
Igbos say, “E mee ngwa ngwa, emeghara ọdachi (A stitch in time saves nine)”
How will you rate this lineup? (if that unthinkable happens)
Ani Ozoemena; Unwana Asuquo, Imo Obot, Alalibo Somiari, Paschal Eze; Daniel Daga, Eze Ekwutoziam, Elijah Akanni; Ekene Awazie, Joseph Atule, Alade Balogun.
