Good morning and happy Derby Day!
It’s a beautiful Sunday morning here in Aba. After last night’s heavy rain that gave us a cool, sweet sleep, the sun is now peeking through the clouds, gently overseeing the city’s activities. Meanwhile, our team is up in Enugu, set for a crucial battle at the Cathedral against our biggest rivals from the Southeast — our so-called oriental brothers.
This fixture last season was a defining moment — but not in the way we would have wanted. The trauma our boys endured that day lingered longer than we admit. Truth be told, maybe we should’ve hired a psychologist back then, but as the saying goes, when your house is on fire, you hardly have time to chase rats.
This time around, while today’s match might not exactly define the season for either side, it surely has the potential to fan the embers of hope—or snuff them out completely. Both teams sit on 49 points, a far cry from the dominance we’ve enjoyed recently, given that we’ve split the league titles between us over the last two seasons.
Rangers, under Fidelis Ilechukwu, haven’t exactly dazzled as defending champions — frankly, our title defence last season was more respectable. On our part, Eguma’s rescue mission is yet to look… well, rescuing. When Yema left, the path to the continent was still wide open, but it seems Eguma’s settling-in period is longer than we bargained for.
Interestingly, Enugu hasn’t been the fortress it used to be. Shooting Stars, Niger Tornadoes, Kano Pillars, even Heartland — yes, Heartland — have all claimed maximum points at the Cathedral this season. Traditional sides have gone there and triumphed. And so can we.
We march into today’s game with some behind-the-scenes drama: the withdrawal of licences and the reassignment of squad numbers, even involving our captain from the start of the season. You just hope this internal shake-up doesn’t rock the fragile balance of a team still chasing continental dreams, no matter how far or fast those dreams seem to be slipping.
As always, we hope to find cheering news at full-time.
Here’s to pride, passion, and the spirit of Enyimba.
‘EnyimbaEnyi
