At the Cathedral of Nigerian football in Aba, Enyimba produced a display worthy of their history, brushing aside Abia Comets 4-1 in a State FA Cup clash that blended control, flair, and ruthless finishing.
From the first whistle, the People’s Elephant made their intentions clear. This was not a game they wanted to manage cautiously. It was one they wanted to seize. Enyimba pinned Comets back early, with Wonah Williams and Ufere Chinedu helping to knit play together in midfield while the attacking line asked all the early questions.
That pressure paid off in the 12th minute. Ukadike Miracle split the Comets defence with a beautifully weighted pass, and Nelson Sule did the rest. The forward stayed calm, picked his spot, and finished with the kind of composure that immediately settled Enyimba into the game. Aba responded the way Aba always does when the team strikes first: with noise, belief, and anticipation.
Abia Comets had a few moments from set pieces, but they never looked fully capable of unsettling Enyimba’s grip on the game. The hosts controlled the first half with relative authority, even if they could not add to their lead before the interval. The only sour note came when Ufere Chinedu picked up a booking just before halftime, a minor blot on an otherwise polished opening 45 minutes.
The second half began with a few changes and a brief scare, as an injury to Emeka Onyema momentarily disrupted the flow and drew concern from the Enyimba bench. But whatever threat there was of the game losing shape quickly disappeared.
In the 55th minute, Enyimba struck again. Odinaka Obichere drove in a low cross, and Nelson Sule was exactly where a striker should be, unmarked and ready. He tapped home for his second of the afternoon, a simple finish, but one built on sharp movement and striker’s instinct.
To their credit, Abia Comets did not fold immediately. Just after the hour mark, they found a route back into the contest. Udochukwu Okorie had already offered a warning, and then a quick corner routine caught Enyimba off guard. Maduka Okechukwu took advantage, finishing smartly to make it 2-1 and briefly inject some tension into the tie.
Any thoughts of a comeback, though, were crushed in style.
In the 70th minute, Samuel Okechukwu produced the moment of the match. Picking up the ball in midfield, he unleashed a superb long-range curler that flew beyond Victor Ogbonna and into the net. It was the kind of goal that makes a crowd pause for a second before erupting. Pure technique. Pure confidence. Pure quality.
At 3-1, Enyimba were fully in command again, and the only real question left was whether Nelson Sule would get the hat-trick his performance deserved.
The answer came with ten minutes to go. Onyebuchi Nwarisa threaded a perfectly timed pass through the Comets backline, Sule rounded the goalkeeper with confidence, and calmly slotted home his third of the day. Hat-trick completed. Match settled. Statement made.
From there, the closing minutes were little more than a procession. Samuel Okechukwu nearly added a fifth with another curling strike that drifted just wide, but by then the job had already been done.
The final whistle confirmed a 4-1 win, but the scoreline only told part of the story. This was not just about advancing in the State FA Cup. It was about the manner of the performance. Enyimba played with structure, but also freedom. They showed discipline, but also invention. And perhaps most importantly, they looked like a side that understood the need to assert themselves early and never loosen their grip.
Nelson Sule will rightly take the headlines, and three goals demand exactly that. But this was a collective performance too. Ukadike Miracle’s creativity opened the door, Obichere made his contribution count, and Samuel Okechukwu ran the game with the kind of authority that lifted the whole side. Even with the one defensive lapse that led to Comets’ goal, Enyimba still looked the stronger, sharper, and more serious team throughout.
For Abia Comets, there were flashes of spirit and moments of promise, especially after pulling one back. But over the course of the game, they simply could not cope with Enyimba’s pressure, movement, and attacking quality.
Bring on the final
EnyimbaEnyi.
