Good morning!
It’s a beautiful Thursday, and as is my tradition, I’m taking a little trip down memory lane. And what better time for that than derby week? Not just any derby—the derby of all derbies. Enyimba vs Enugu Rangers. This Sunday. At the Cathedral. And yes, it might even be on TV. Word is, Propel Sports Africa could resurrect just for this. Fingers crossed, folks.
Now, let me cast your mind back to this same fixture last season. I had just returned from Owerri the day before, where I’d gone to watch Heartland FC. My plan was simple: attend church, relax, and catch the derby on TV. That was until Henry Nna practically dragged me to the stadium to join one of the club’s buses heading to Enugu. After some convincing—and by that, I mean relentless persuasion—I caved in.
We set out from Aba just before noon, but as soon as we got to Umuikaa Junction, our bus developed a little fault. That was the beginning of what would become my longest-ever trip to Enugu. We finally rolled into the Coal City barely minutes before kickoff. But boy, was the city ready. You could feel it in the air—it was electric. Banter flying, taunts exchanged, traffic crawling. The Cathedral was rocking like old times.
We had to jump off the bus and trek the final stretch to beat the gridlock. Getting into the stadium was another mission. It was a sea of bodies. Press stand? Full. Standing room? Only enough space for two feet—no turning, no shifting, just stand and pray your legs behave.
By the time I found my spot (on a wall, of course), the game had already started. Enyimba played like men possessed. The defending champions came to spoil the party and were clearly the better side. As the game went on, so did the tension. The crowd swelled. The air got heavier.
Half-time gave me a chance to greet a few familiar faces, especially colleagues who were in town for the NNL playoffs. The second half? Even more heated. Emotions ran wild. And then came the moment that changed everything—a contentious penalty call against us.
Our boys weren’t having it, and neither were the fans. The mood in the stadium shifted. The tension was no longer just football-related—it felt dangerous. I knew chaos was near. With no plans to spend the night in Enugu, I quietly made my way toward the exit. Not long after, the side boards started flying.
Thankfully, it didn’t escalate to a much more dangerous exchange. Sure thing, there was blood and some beatings. The fact that it was “a match between brothers” probably helped avoid what could’ve been a more disastrous scenario. There could have even been a stampede but God willing, there wasn’t. We got to our bus, but our ordeal was far from over.
We left Enugu around 8pm and the bus—bless its stubborn soul—decided to deteriorate further. We had to stop at odd hours, buying hydraulic oil and soda (yes, soda) just to keep it alive. At one point, around 1am, we were hunting for anything that could keep the bus running at Abia Tower in Umuahia. Finally arrived Aba by 2am. Luckily, I had a taxi waiting at the stadium.
It was a wild trip. One of the best NPFL matches in recent times, yet a reminder of how thin the line is between rivalry and ruin.
Rangers won the title that year. We managed 3rd place. This season, neither side is quite at that level. But still, I expect a good game this Sunday. Who knows—I just might make the trip again, this time on my own terms.
Enyimba Enyi!
