Enyimba FC: A Club in Crisis, A Management that doesn’t care.

I’ve been unusually quiet about a few things concerning our dear Enyimba FC since yesterday. Not because everything is fine, or because I don’t know what to say, or even because I don’t want to say it. Rather, it’s because it has been deeply embarrassing to go online and see our beloved club become the butt of jokes. And when you actually stop to read the taunts, the worst part is realizing they are bitter truths staring us in the face.

Yesterday, we trended on social media for all the wrong reasons. A January 15, 2017 match ticket was issued for Wednesday’s game against Shooting Stars, and a frustrated fan shared it on Facebook. Being Enyimba, it spread like wildfire. I don’t know if our current management is actively trying to make us a symbol of everything wrong with Nigerian football, but at this rate, they’re succeeding.

Walking into the stadium on Wednesday, I was initially pleasantly surprised by the newly completed security post, complete with two urinary bowls, all looking neat and fresh. I muttered a few words of praise, thinking maybe, just maybe, things were improving.

Little did I know that moment of optimism would be short-lived.

As I arrived at the new camera stand (which, by the way, still doubles as a press stand), I remembered I had to step outside the stadium to pick something up, and quickly started moving towards the exit, boom! I saw it.

A strange-looking Toyota Coaster bus rolled into the stadium grounds. The words ‘Abia Link’ were boldly printed on its body. At first, I assumed it was Shooting Stars’ team bus—after all, it was an unfamiliar sight. But then, I saw the players stepping out. Their kits read ‘Stake’ across the chest. My heart sank. These were Enyimba players.

Bewilderment took over.

I vividly remember that just before this management took over, Enyimba proudly paraded two branded Coaster buses at the governor’s banquet. We can excuse one of the buses being in Ikenne with the U19 team for the N-Youth League Cup, but what about the other one? Did it suddenly break down right before matchday? Why are we so unlucky with machines and electronics?

Speaking of which, in case you haven’t noticed, that joke of an electronic scoreboard from the last administration—as bad as it is—has not even been used once by this current management. Not even for a single half of football.

And then there’s the issue of night games. Have you realized we never get picked for them anymore? Maybe because the last time we had the chance, the stadium lights failed, and of course, we blamed the machines.

And now, a strange looking Abia Link bus, the same type used for transporting passengers and goods between Aba and Umuahia, is what we used to arrive for a home game.

Even if this was just a routine maintenance issue, timing matters. If we were a club that actually produced high-quality social media content, would we have dared to include that embarrassing team arrival? I look at the content Rangers and Heartland put out, and I can only wish we had something similar.

As the Igbo saying goes, “Onye ndị iro gbara gburugburu na-eche ndụ ya nche.” If you have enemies waiting for you to fail, don’t hand them reasons to justify their ‘hate.’

A word is enough for the wise.

Up next is a trip to Lafia. Niger Tornadoes and Majin Mohammed are never an easy nut to crack.

We can only hope.

Enyimba Enyi!