Good morning, folks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s midweek once again, and with a long pause before our final game of the season, time suddenly feels slower \u2014 maybe because we\u2019re already walking around with our tails tucked neatly between our legs, watching our Umuahia-based wannabes celebrate their first-ever continental ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, if I were to count the number of times Enyimba has flown the flag in Africa, I\u2019d need a calculator and a strong cup of coffee. That alone might make this season\u2019s stumble feel like something we can brush off. But should we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truth is, nothing should be excused if we truly want to return to being the top dogs in the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One major issue? Perception<\/em><\/strong>. And yes, results haven\u2019t helped, but beyond the pitch, we\u2019ve stopped looking the part. Presentation matters. You can dress up the devil in silk and folks would still queue for selfies. That\u2019s what smart packaging does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Case in point:<\/em><\/strong> The bus looks tired. Branding faded. Colours washed out. Edges peeling. It\u2019s not just a vehicle \u2014 it\u2019s a moving billboard. And right now, it screams \u201cformer glory.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Abia State Government can\u2019t afford a new bus yet \u2014 which might be understandable, given the season we\u2019ve had \u2014 the least we can do is give the current one a facelift. Slap on some fresh paint. Replace those worn photos. Restore some pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t carry the 9-time domestic champions and 2-time kings of Africa in something that looks like it was fresh out the colonial museum very close to Bata junction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m glad the players arrived Aba safely \u2014 that\u2019s always priority. But that eyesore on wheels needs urgent attention. Let\u2019s start fixing the little things that tell the big stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n EnyimbaEnyi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good morning, folks! It\u2019s midweek once again, and with a long pause before our final game of the season, time suddenly feels slower \u2014 maybe because we\u2019re already walking around […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"breadcrumbs_single_post":"","page_title_panel":"","breadcrumbs_single_page":"","single_page_alignment":"","single_page_margin":"","page_structure_type":"","content_style_source":"","content_style":"","blog_post_streched_ed":"","blog_page_streched_ed":"","has_transparent_header":"","disable_transparent_header":"","vertical_spacing_source":"","content_area_spacing":"","single_post_content_background":"","single_page_content_background":"","single_post_boxed_content_spacing":"","single_page_boxed_content_spacing":"","single_post_content_boxed_radius":"","single_page_content_boxed_radius":"","disable_featured_image":"","disable_post_tags":"","disable_author_box":"","disable_posts_navigation":"","disable_comments":"","disable_related_posts":"","disable_header":"","disable_footer":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_rishi_post_view_count":281},"categories":[6],"tags":[2,3,4,5],"class_list":["post-2424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-aba","tag-enyimba","tag-nigeria-professional-football-league","tag-npfl","rishi-post"],"yoast_head":"\n
We\u2019re no longer the fearsome Enyimba that commanded respect across the board. The fear factor is fading \u2014 and with it, the aura that once made us untouchable. Banter that used to bounce off our badge now sticks. Babies are taking turns poking the elephant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month, a friend messaged me after spotting the Enyimba team bus along the Benin-Asaba expressway. His words? \u201cThat bus doesn\u2019t do justice to Enyimba.\u201d I slightly brushed it off\u2014until I saw the squad return from Gombe yesterday. He was absolutely right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n