A week after Enyimba FC finished on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller in front of displeased home fans, the People’s Elephant returned with a trumpet and took the spoils in another remarkable six-goal contest against Shooting Stars on Wednesday, this time to the delight of the fans.
The loud and brassy “Paaaaaa!” from the Elephant’s trunk reverberated around the stadium at half-time as the Aba giants raced to an emphatic 3–0 lead, with Richard Christopher, Chibueze Damian and Abubakar Idris opening their Enyimba accounts in full view of cheering home supporters. It was a quick harvest of debut goals.
Only a monumental capitulation could have wiped out such a healthy first-half advantage, and Enyimba showed no intention of letting the visitors back into the game. The lead was extended through Ifeanyi Ihemekwele, his first goal since returning from a long injury layoff. It was a goal that all but ended the match as a contest. Only then did the nine-time league champions take their foot off the gas and allow the scoreline to assume a more respectable reading.
That was the response the fans had yearned for after a winless start to the season that included two defeats in Aba. The city needed a bit of a shake-up to restore some pride, and the team responded in good measure. It was a fitting way to end a difficult September, a month that saw visiting teams glide in and out of Aba with maximum points. Earning four points from two matches in Kano and Aba within the space of four days has injected some belief and given us a measure of momentum heading into October.
Coach Emmanuel Deutsch deserves commendation for largely sticking with the same starting eleven over the last two matches, despite the physical exertions of playing twice in four days and the long road trips required to prosecute both matches. Consistency breeds coherence, and familiarity helps build a team.
After three goalkeepers — Godswill Utum, Kelvin Ogunga and Dare Dede — took turns between the posts in the first six matches, Dede now has the momentum. His performances in the last two games have helped secure the four points currently on the board.
The injection of returning versatile defender Obichere Odinaka into the backline has also shored up that department and limited the free headers in the box that the opposition had been gifted earlier in the season. If he plays with greater authority and continues to demonstrate leadership through his performances and conduct, then the iconic No. 26 shirt on his back will be worthy of bearing his name, just as it proudly bore those of previous wearers such as Onyekachi Okonkwo, Prince Olomu, Chinedu Udoji and Augustine Oladapo.
The midfield is beginning to take shape and form. It is encouraging to see the men in the middle of the park — Tobi Iyanda, Richard Ezinna and Abubakar Idris — weighing in with goals without losing sight of their responsibility to knit the team together. In attack, it is heartwarming to see Ihemekwele among the goals again. After starting two consecutive matches as the focal point of our attacking play, getting on the scoresheet must assuage some of the pain of the last 18 months of injury-enforced absence and, more importantly, give him the confidence to go for more.
The supporting cast in attack, Wonah Williams and Stanley Dimgba, have already opened their accounts this season too, so confidence is certainly not in short supply.
The team is new and evolving. There will be good times and downtime, but the focus must remain on improving with every match. The players must be conditioned to remain focused and concentrated on the task on the pitch. Their welfare and travel logistics should also be upgraded to enhance motivation and mitigate fatigue. When momentum swings your way, you are expected to seize it and make the most of it. Anything short of a sustained run of positive results will not aid our recovery from this poor start to the season.
On Sunday, we have another opportunity to consolidate the gains of the last two matches when Plateau United come to town.
The Peace Boys are unbeaten since their opening-day defeat and are on a five-match unbeaten run, including two draws away from their emerging fortress in Jos. It is also another opportunity to cross swords with our former coach, Gbenga Ogunbote.
Ogunbote had a one-year stint in Aba in 2017 and helped us return to Africa after a year away from continental football. He is not one to underestimate in a tactical contest and will be relying on the services of our former players — midfielder Dayo Ojo and left-back Ikouwen Utin — to help stifle the flow of goals that has returned to Aba in recent matches.
Deutsch has his work cut out for him, but he is well equipped with insight from superintending over Enyimba’s 2–0 victory against Ogunbote’s Jos side last season.
Buoyed by the statement victory over 3SC in midweek, the fans will return in good numbers and in full voice, hoping to see the People’s Elephant trumpet its way to another maximum.
EnyimbaEnyi
