Good morning Enyimba fans
News filtering in has it that Enyimba will resume camping next week for the new season which is scheduled to kickstart on Friday 22nd August 2025; and its not surprising that the Peoples elephant has decided to kickstart things early especially after a disappointing season by all standards. All things being equal, We might be looking at some players we think that Enyimba could sign if they are to get back to the glory days of the club. We are That Enyimbafan and you can be assured that we make do on our promises.
On our End of the season review today, I will be talking about a player who is a utility player but disappointed me in many games more than I could count. Suffice it to say, This young man is not Enyimba’s standards and this is not to diss him but that’s how I feel. I dare say that there are other players who played for Enyimba last season who were not just average but very very poor and we will also talk about them in subsequent blog posts.
Innocent Gabriel’s season at Enyimba was quite oxymoronic, to say the least. The guy joined us from Abia Warriors, and you could see right away that he’s a versatile player, capable of playing as a right back, left back, center back, or even as a defensive midfielder. That kind of flexibility is a real asset for any team, and Innocent definitely worked hard for the Pepple Elephants. But honestly, his season left me feeling a bit disappointed.
He made 27 league appearances, scoring a crucial goal against Enugu Rangers in Enugu, which helped us seal a 2-1 victory. That was a bright spot, no doubt. But then there were the moments where he let himself down, one red card, one yellow, and some costly mistakes that showed he was’ innocently’ inconsistent. I remember a specific game in the NPFL where he was about to be substituted, but he kept pleading with the coach to let him stay on. Honestly, I felt he was not performing well at all, and he probably should’ve been taken off. Despite that, he kept insisting, and even though the fans were shouting for him to be replaced, the substitution was finally made.
That stubbornness, combined with some poor decisions on the pitch, made his season frustrating to watch. He’s not an entirely bad player—far from it. He’s hardworking, committed, and has a good body frame that should be an advantage. But he doesn’t always use his physical attributes to his benefit, and that’s something he needs to improve on. His game is quite mechanical; he’s not the most skillful player, and sometimes he blends into the background until he makes a mistake. It’s like he plays on autopilot, and that’s why fans and coaches alike can sometimes overlook him—until a costly error happens.
He also had 8 appearances in the CAF Confederation Cup, picking up two yellow cards, which shows that he sometimes gets caught up in the heat of the moment. I believe he needs a good coach who can harness his strengths and help him work on his consistency. He’s not the kind of player you expect to dribble past opponents or pull off fancy tricks, but he needs to be more reliable in his positioning and decision-making.
All in all, I would give Innocent Gabriel a 5/10 for his season performance. He’s not a lost cause, but he definitely needs to step up his game, especially in terms of focus and consistency. With the right guidance and effort, I believe he can become a more dependable player for Enyimba and maybe even surprise us all. But for now, there’s room for improvement, and I hope he works on that next season.
Back tomorrow
EnyimbaEnyi!
