NPFL action returns this weekend across the country after a two-week break caused by the State Federation Cup finals, where states and the FCT completed their slots for this year’s President Federation Cup.
For Enyimba, the break was useful. It gave the People’s Elephant a chance to rest some key players, hand minutes to fringe players, and bring a few young faces closer to the first team. It also offered room for physical conditioning, tactical recalibration, and, of course, the small matter of a trophy to lift the mood ahead of the final stretch of the league season.
More importantly, some young players used the period well. They stepped forward, showed confidence, scored beautiful goals, and gave the coaches something to think about. But football always has levels. It is one thing to dominate lower-league opposition. It is another thing entirely to reproduce that same quality against top-flight teams, especially at this stage of the season when every point carries weight.
One player who appears comfortable on both sides of that divide is Wonah Williams.
A mid-season arrival, Wonah did not shrink from the weight of the No. 7 shirt, freshly vacated by club icon Joseph Atule. Instead, he has worn it with courage, purpose, and increasing authority. Four goals in the State FA Cup, including a brace in the quarter-final and another goal in the final, already told part of the story. But if anyone wanted to dismiss those numbers because of the level of opposition, his goals in our last two league matches against Katsina United and Rangers have made the argument stronger.
This is no longer just cup excitement. This is form. This is confidence. This is the kind of contribution Enyimba badly needs in the final weeks of the season.
With three league matches left to play, every goal matters. Every moment matters. Every player who can tilt a tight game in our favour becomes important to the survival fight. Wonah has shown that he has the spark. The question now is whether he can carry it into the biggest pressure moments. Will he rise again when Enyimba need him most? Only time will tell.
This weekend, Remo Stars come to Aba. And leading the line for the Ikenne-based side is a familiar face: Victor Mbaoma.
A former Enyimba striker, Mbaoma knows Aba. Aba knows him too. He built a reputation here as a reliable goalscorer, a player with a habit of appearing in big moments. In three seasons with Enyimba, he scored 42 goals, including 31 in the league, reaching those numbers in fewer matches than most recent forwards at the club. Earlier this season, his two goals against us helped Remo Stars to a 2-1 win and denied us a share of the points.
So there is no room for carelessness.
Coach Emmanuel Deutsch must get the plan right. This is not only about containing Mbaoma. It is also about managing Remo’s movement, matching their confidence, and finding a way to outwit Usman Abdallah, another familiar figure who will understand what this fixture means.
The three points on offer are non-negotiable, but they will not be handed to us because we are Enyimba. They must be earned on the pitch with grit, intelligence, craft, and superior execution. At this stage of the season, there is very little room for error. A missed chance now can carry heavy consequences. Dropping points to a rival with something to play for only makes the danger sharper.
A win against the Sky Blues would move Enyimba one step closer to safety, regardless of what happens elsewhere. It would also spare the supporters the emotional punishment of entering the final matchday with danger still hanging in the air.
These are the matches where players write their names into the feeling of a season. Not always with glamour. Sometimes with fight. Sometimes with a tackle, a save, a goal, or simply the refusal to fold when pressure arrives.
After last week’s goals, trophy, and glimpse of emerging talent, the mood around the club is lighter. But now comes the serious part. The league does not care about last weekend’s celebration. Survival will not be secured by sentiment.
This weekend is crunch time.
All that matters now is maximum points. Anything short of that could turn last weekend’s glow into this weekend’s gloom.
Enyimba Enyi!
