The Elephant Park crackled with tension and tradition as Enyimba FC hosted Rangers International in another fiery edition of the Oriental Derby. Aba’s famous ground was packed, the air heavy with rivalry, and the stakes as high as ever between two of Nigeria’s most storied football clubs. This was not just football; it was heritage, pride and history meeting under the Aba sun.
Enyimba started with intent, pressing Rangers high and dictating the early rhythm. Their breakthrough arrived in the forty second minute when Chidera Michael produced a composed and classy finish after a lovely attacking sequence that cut through the Rangers backline. The pass, the movement, the strike—it all came together perfectly and Aba erupted in celebration.
Just before halftime, Rangers almost found a response, but Kelvin Ogunga came up big with a full-stretch save in the forty fourth minute to preserve the lead. It was a vital moment in a match where every detail mattered. The halftime whistle was greeted with loud cheers across the stadium as Enyimba went in one goal up.
The second half began with both teams battling for control, but it was Enyimba who showed better tactical discipline. A smart substitution came in the fifty fifth minute when Bassey John replaced Onyebuchi Nworisa to stabilize the midfield and reassert control. Six minutes later, Chidera Michael made way for Stanley Dimgba, and the substitution proved decisive. In the eighty first minute, Dimgba delivered the insurance goal with a calm and clinical finish, doubling Enyimba’s lead and lifting the roof off the Elephant Park. It was a reminder of why the winger remains one of the league’s most reliable impact players.
Of course, derbies never end quietly. In stoppage time, Rangers capitalised on a moment of poor positioning from Ogunga and pulled one back in the ninety first minute. It set up a tense finish, but Enyimba were not about to surrender their hard-earned advantage. They stayed composed, defended intelligently, and closed out a well-deserved victory.
At full time, Enyimba had beat Rangers 2-1. The People’s Elephant were sharper, hungrier, and more clinical. Chidera Michael delivered quality. Stanley Dimgba delivered assurance. Ogunga mixed heroics with one mistake, but his earlier save remained one of the game’s defining moments. In the end, under the lights of the Elephant Park, when it mattered most, Enyimba showed character and claimed bragging rights in the Oriental Derby.
EnyimbaEnyi 💙
