Good morning!
Yesterday, Enyimba delivered their 93rd draw in the NPFL since October 26. Yep, you heard that right—ninety third. If that number doesn’t feel magical, it’s because it isn’t. The only silver lining is that, at least, we’re not losing. But hey, is “not losing” really what we signed up for?
After the mini-vacation to Mozambique, a trip that we no longer want to remember because of all the bad taste it leaves on our tongue, we finally returned to competitive football. The venue was the chilly city of Jos, where we suffered heartbreak around this time last year. Déjà vu, anyone?
Yema shuffled the deck, sending Zalli Abdullahi between the sticks and fielding Divine Ukadike at left back. With CHAN Eagles camp claiming Ani Ozoemena and Imo Obot, the defence saw Chikamso Okechukwu partner Somiari Alalibo, while Innocent Gabriel resumed his favorite right-back role. The midfield trio of Daniel Daga, Chinedu Ufere, and Akanni Elijah held the fort, with Austin Onyemaechi and Ekene Awazie flanking Ifeanyi Ihemekwele upfront.
Plateau United, desperate to climb out of their own rut, started aggressively, throwing everything at us in search of an early goal. However, our defense held firm, and slowly, Enyimba found a rhythm, especially as the first half wore on. Despite a few promising chances at both ends, neither side could break the deadlock, and the first half ended with the scoreboard yawning in boredom.
The second half offered more of the same: Plateau huffing and puffing, Enyimba staying cautious, and both teams proving allergic to converting chances. Substitutions added a sprinkle of excitement—Wisdom Obichere and David Eke came on alongside others—but the stalemate persisted. And so, we wrapped up yet another goalless draw.
That makes it a full two months without a win or a loss, a streak that feels more like purgatory than progress. I mean, in the context of this game, a point on the road is no bad result. How would we feel this morning knowing that we return from Jos empty handed?
However, you can’t help but imagine how many away results that could have been a win – Shooting Stars? Abia Warriors? Bayelsa United? Now this. Ill take an away point but the reward of 3 points is more significantly different especially with the thin line separating a win and a draw.
With Bendel Insurance visiting Aba on the last day of the year, there’s a glimmer of hope for redemption. After that, three outstanding matches loom large, providing a chance to salvage our position and climb into the table’s upper half.
Kudos to the team for avoiding defeat once more, but seriously—I miss winning, don’t you?
EnyimbaEnyi
