Five Games to Set the Tone

The fixtures are out, the countdown has begun, and Enyimba now know the first five obstacles standing between them and a much-needed strong start to the new season.

On Friday, the Nigeria Premier Football League board released the schedule for the 2026/27 campaign. Whatever reservations we may have about the people running Nigerian football, the fixtures have finally given us something concrete to discuss. For Enyimba, there can be no hiding now. The real work begins in Minna.

Desert Storms and an Evenly Matched Opponent

The People’s Elephant will begin the season with a trip to Minna, where they will face Niger Tornadoes. The Desert Tornadoes finished just one point behind Enyimba in last season’s standings, while both teams only secured their safety during the closing stages of the campaign. Niger Tornadoes survived by a single point, but Enyimba supporters cannot laugh too loudly because our own escape was only confirmed on the final day.

Both clubs will enter the new season with something to prove. Niger Tornadoes will want to begin positively and restore confidence among their supporters, while Enyimba must show that last season’s poor campaign was an exception rather than the beginning of something worse. The Minna side have been consistently playing friendly matches and sharing updates about their preparations, unlike Enyimba, whose preseason activities have largely been hidden from supporters.

We know Enyimba have played Rangers, Rivers United and Warri Wolves, but little has been communicated about the matches. Perhaps the club believes that keeping preseason results secret will suddenly make the team stronger when the league begins. Unfortunately, silence does not improve fitness, tactics or performance, and supporters deserve basic information about the team they follow.

Niger Tornadoes will attempt to raise a desert storm in the opening fixture, but Enyimba must be prepared to withstand it. The team must be resilient, disciplined and quick in transition. The standards may have fallen in recent seasons, but Enyimba still have enough pedigree to give supporters a reason to believe again.

Winning away from home in the NPFL is often treated as an impossible task, but Enyimba defeated Niger Tornadoes in Minna last season. That result should provide confidence that it can be achieved again. A positive start on August 30 would immediately lift the mood around the club and help set the tone for the matches that follow.

Giving Ibadan a Taste of Its Own Medicine

Enyimba’s second match will be at home against Shooting Stars, a team we failed to defeat last season. The first meeting in Aba ended in a draw before the Oluyole Warriors handed Enyimba a painful 3–0 defeat at the Lekan Salami Stadium.

Shooting Stars eventually finished third after an impressive campaign that secured continental football. However, they have since parted ways with Nurudeen Aweroro, the coach who guided them back to the continent after many years of waiting. The decision itself is surprising, but the timing is even more confusing, considering that the new league season is almost here.

The departure has created uncertainty around the club at a time when they should be fully focused on preparing for both domestic and continental football. Their supporters are already asking questions, while the players must adjust to a new direction, new signings and the added demands of continental competition.

Enyimba must be ready to take advantage of that uncertainty when Shooting Stars visit Aba. Last season’s defeat in Ibadan should still be fresh in the minds of the players, and the home fixture provides an opportunity to respond. The People’s Elephant must impose themselves, create chances and make sure Shooting Stars leave Aba with a taste of the same medicine they served us last season.

Teaching a New Child Old Lessons

Enyimba did not win nine league titles only to become comfortable with mid-table finishes and relegation battles. The club built its reputation by setting standards, dominating Nigerian football and consistently competing among the country’s strongest teams.

That history should provide motivation when Enyimba travel to the Pantami Stadium to face Doma United on matchday three. Among the newly promoted teams, Doma United appear to be one of the weaker sides on paper. Their performance at the NNL Super Four did little to change that impression, as they finished bottom of the standings, scored only two goals and conceded seven.

Doma United will face fellow promoted sides Sporting Lagos and Inter Lagos in their opening two fixtures, meaning Enyimba may represent their first serious test against an established NPFL club. They will be eager to prove that they belong in the top flight, but Enyimba must approach the game with the confidence and discipline expected from a nine-time league champion.

The fixture also offers Enyimba an opportunity to correct one of last season’s most frustrating weaknesses. The team dropped too many points against newly promoted sides and allowed supposedly smaller clubs to play without fear. This time, the People’s Elephant must control the game, impose their experience and teach the newcomers that the NPFL is a much more demanding environment than the second division.

Trampling the Prideful Lagosians

Enyimba’s next two matches will also be against newly promoted teams, beginning with Inter Lagos at the Enyimba International Stadium. The Lagos side will arrive with energy, confidence and plenty of attention following their promotion, but top-flight football requires more than excitement and social media popularity.

The rise of Ikorodu City, who finished fourth in consecutive seasons, has understandably increased confidence among Lagos clubs. Their success has shown that teams from the city can compete strongly in the NPFL, but Inter Lagos must still prove themselves at this level.

When they arrive in Aba, Enyimba must make it clear that reputation is earned through performance. The People’s Elephant should control the game from the beginning, use the support of the home crowd and prevent the visitors from settling into the match. A newly promoted club should not come to Aba and feel comfortable.

Sporting Lagos will provide the next challenge. After suffering relegation at the end of their first season in the NPFL, they have returned with the intention of avoiding the same fate. They will likely be better prepared this time, but Enyimba must still remind them of the demands of top-flight football.

Both fixtures against the Lagos clubs provide Enyimba with an opportunity to build momentum. These are matches the club should approach with confidence, especially if the team genuinely intends to compete near the top of the table.

A Chance to Start Properly

These opening five matches may represent one of the most favourable runs Enyimba will receive all season. Niger Tornadoes away, Shooting Stars at home, Doma United away, Inter Lagos at home and Sporting Lagos afterwards provide a reasonable opportunity to collect points and begin the campaign strongly.

Nobody expects Enyimba to win every match, although supporters would certainly welcome such a start. What matters is that the team shows organisation, confidence and visible improvement. The opening fixtures should produce enough points to build momentum and restore belief after last season’s disappointment.

A strong start would calm supporters, improve confidence within the squad and give the technical crew time to continue building the team. A poor start, however, would immediately revive memories of last season and place unnecessary pressure on everyone around the club.

Enyimba cannot afford to drift into another campaign without urgency. These first five games are more than ordinary fixtures. They represent an opportunity to show that the club has learned from its mistakes and is ready to begin the long journey back to the summit of Nigerian football.

The road ahead will become more difficult as the season progresses, which is why the People’s Elephant must take advantage of the opening schedule. The tone must be set early, the points must be gathered and the supporters must be given reasons to believe again.

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