Thank God it’s Friday!
That line always reminds me of one of my university lecturers, Mr. Udunwa. Almost every Friday he made it to class, he would remind us of TGIF. It was his own relaxed way of beginning the lecture, and perhaps we can borrow the same approach today because, after what has felt like a very long wait, the football season is finally here.
Today marks the beginning of the 2026/27 EuroMatch Nigeria Premier Football League season. Yes, we finally have a title sponsor, unveiled just a couple of days before kickoff. We will leave some of the conversations surrounding EuroMatch for another day and focus on what matters for now: a reported $7.5 million agreement spread across three years, with 60 percent of the proceeds expected to go directly to the participating clubs. That is not insignificant money, and hopefully it eventually translates into better player welfare, stronger clubs and a more commercially attractive league.
The league has also entered a new streaming arrangement with Murphy Ben International, with selected matches expected to be shown live and others made available on delay through the NPFL’s official YouTube platform. At least that provides some direction after the collapse of the Propel Sports experiment, although supporters will naturally want to see how consistently the new arrangement works once Matchday One gets underway.
Everything appears to have come together at remarkable speed. One moment we were asking who the title sponsor would be, where we would watch the matches and whether everything would be ready for kickoff; the next moment, the season is already upon us. It almost feels as though everybody suddenly remembered that August 28 was on the calendar.
But then again, we are Nigerians. Last-minute preparations are almost one of our national talents. Sometimes we plan months ahead, and sometimes the deadline arrives before the planning committee remembers there is a deadline. Somehow, against all reasonable expectations, things occasionally still come together.
There has also been considerable movement at the Nigerian football house, with the resignation of senior figures within the NFF creating understandable questions about what happens to some of the structures and boards established under the outgoing leadership. Some of those bodies are already approaching the end of their mandates, so perhaps continuity until their terms expire, followed by a proper assessment of what worked and what did not, would avoid unnecessary disruption. Stability matters, but stability should never become an excuse for keeping arrangements that have clearly failed.
Now, let us return to the matter closest to our hearts: Enyimba.
It genuinely feels as though the season arrived too quickly for us, or perhaps somebody in Aba has been operating with a communications template from 2006. Look around Nigerian football this week and almost every club has given its supporters something to consume. New players have been unveiled, preseason results discussed, training pictures shared, coaches interviewed and kits displayed. Big clubs, small clubs, promoted clubs and clubs with very little to shout about have all found ways to remind their supporters that a new season is coming.
Enyimba, unfortunately, have largely taken another route.
There has been information about changes around the youth setup and the club’s visit to a motherless babies’ home, both of which are commendable. But with the league already beginning, supporters naturally want to know considerably more about the first team. We are still waiting to properly meet some of the players representing us, waiting for clarity around the complete backroom setup and waiting to see what we will actually be wearing this season amid reports of a new arrangement with Joma.
At this point, anticipation itself deserves a position in the technical crew. We have anticipated the squad, anticipated the signings, anticipated the backroom staff and anticipated the kits. Perhaps the next announcement will simply ask us to anticipate another announcement.
The jokes aside, there is a genuine issue underneath all of this. Supporters want to feel connected to their football club. They want to know the players they are expected to cheer for, understand who is responsible for coaching them and have some idea of what the club is trying to build. Nobody expects every transfer negotiation or tactical discussion to be broadcast on Facebook Live. Football requires confidentiality, and some information genuinely needs to remain behind closed doors. But there is a considerable distance between protecting sensitive information and leaving supporters almost completely outside the conversation.
That is why it was encouraging to hear Enyimba mentioned during the governor’s media chat yesterday. More importantly, the question reflected what many supporters are thinking: we cannot afford another season filled with the heartbreak, embarrassment and disappointment we endured last term. The governor said he was on top of the situation, and naturally we want to believe him. Hopefully, those words represent something already being addressed behind the scenes rather than another reassuring political statement that sounds excellent while the microphones are on and disappears when the cameras leave.
Enyimba must rise again.
For the most part, supporters have resigned themselves to following patiently and sometimes blindly. We have learned patience. We have learned faith. At this point, some of us have even developed advanced qualifications in interpreting silence. But these virtues have their limits because supporters still want to participate in the life of the club.
We want to buy the new jerseys. We want to know the players wearing them. We want to see the team, hear from the coaches and understand the direction of the project. We want supporters in Aba, Lagos, Abuja and outside Nigeria to feel that they are part of the journey rather than spectators waiting outside a closed door.
But if all of those things somehow threaten the grand plan to reclaim the league title — and I still cannot understand how unveiling players or selling jerseys would interfere with winning football matches — then by all means, give us the trophy first and we will settle the communication matter afterwards.
We can survive the suspense surrounding the squad. We can endure waiting for the jerseys. We can even tolerate one more mysterious player appearing on a team sheet without a proper introduction if what comes at the end is a tenth league title.
Success, after all, has a remarkable way of silencing complaints.
For now, however, we choose to believe that the season has not caught Enyimba unprepared. We choose to believe that somewhere behind all the silence, anticipation and secrecy, Emmanuel Deutsch and the management have been putting together a team capable of restoring some pride.
As the squad makes the journey from Aba to Minna, we wish them journey mercies and, more importantly, a successful beginning to the campaign. The last competitive memory supporters have is that 3-0 victory over El-Kanemi Warriors that eventually secured our survival. It would be nice if the new season began by replacing the relief of that afternoon with something much more enjoyable: genuine optimism.
The waiting is finished now. The friendlies are over, the mystery is almost exhausted and the points are finally about to become real.
Whatever has been cooking behind closed doors will soon be served.
Hopefully, it tastes good.
EnyimbaEnyi.
