It should’ve been a post-match blog today.

Instead, we’re left recuperating from yet another disappointment—not because of a tough Continental engagement, but due to an avoidable blunder in travel plans. It’s yet another embarrassing chapter in the saga of the “biggest” club in Nigeria. And yet, fans like us are expected to believe the narrative that the management is “working to improve” our dear Enyimba.

As an Aba boy through and through, I take immense pride in calling Enyimba my club. This isn’t just a football team; it’s a legacy, a source of identity and pride for those of us who grew up in this bustling city. So, you can imagine the heartbreak of watching this once-revered African giant stumble from one disgrace to another. And while fingers point in all directions, let me shift the spotlight onto the one entity we rarely hold accountable: the Abia State Government.

Yes, the government. Why? Because the most important hire a leader makes is the first hire—the one who sets the tone, builds the team, and ensures the foundation doesn’t crumble. Instead, what did we get? A flashy announcement that Kanu Nwankwo, a legendary football icon and FIFA Ambassador, would “help” the state in sports development. Many assumed he would take up the role of sports commissioner. Instead, he was handed the chairmanship of Enyimba—an appointment that raised expectations in some quarters and cast doubts in others.

Kanu’s first major move? Hiring Ifeanyi Ekwueme—a name that evokes little excitement even in his home state. Ekwueme’s first order of business? Firing almost everyone, including the coaches, with little regard for contracts or continuity. Only a reminder from the media and those affected about valid contracts halted the cull. Since then, it’s been one damage-control exercise after another, with the club limping from one self-inflicted wound to the next.

Despite a more than 50% increase in monthly subvention, prize money from competitions, and income from player sales, basic welfare—especially for the playing staff—remains abysmal. While the state governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has done commendable work fixing salaries and entitlements across the state, Enyimba appears to operate in a different realm where player motivation is an afterthought. Salaries might be paid, but other entitlements? Either it is almost forgotten or grossly inadequate. And yet, we expect this squad to deliver results?

It’s no surprise that morale is at an all-time low. A player recently lamented the dwindling desire among the team to play for the badge—a sentiment reflected in our struggles both domestically and on the Continent. The passion and motivation that once fueled this team have all but evaporated. How can the state government sit back and watch as Enyimba—once the pride of Aba—becomes a shadow of its former self?

Today, instead of a match report against Nasarawa United, we’re counting down to the full return of the Mozambique delegation. And let’s not even start on the absurdity of splitting travel into batches or the possibility of missing Sunday’s game against Plateau United in Jos. It’s as if no one in charge understands basic planning or, for that matter, what a roundtrip ticket entails.

Who would want to associate with a brand that has become synonymous with failure and mismanagement? Certainly not the sponsors we desperately need to revitalize this club. Until this storm of shame passes, Enyimba will remain a shadow of its glorious past.

Let me be clear: my frustration isn’t just as a fan but as someone who deeply loves this club. Mistakes have been made, and at the root of it is the government’s error in appointing the wrong first hire. Positions are transient, but legacies are eternal. If the current leadership doesn’t turn things around fast, history will remember them not for lifting Enyimba higher, but for watching it sink. Scratch that, for actually sinking it.

This will likely be my final rant on this for the year. It’s Christmas season, and hopefully, there’ll be something to cheer about soon.

Back tomorrow,

EnyimbaEnyi