Good morning Guys,
Today is about echoing the quesion on every fan’s lips. Where is Pinto?
It has been since Novmber last year since we last saw Happy Eze Ekwutoziam, better known as Pinto, in the blue of Enyimba. Since that cruel injury against Al Masry ended his season. Silence, uncertainty and now shame.
Where is Pinto???
Pinto was one of Enyimba’s captains at that time. A leader on and off the pitch. A player who embodied everything the People’s Elephant stood for — hard work, humility, and heart. He did not need to wear the armband; he earned it through blood, sweat, and loyalty.
Yet, he has been left to vanish quietly, like he never mattered. No updates. No statement. Nothing.
What in exactly is going on?
How can a club of Enyimba’s magnitude and pedigree, a club funded by taxpayers money that prides on her rich history and culture, treat one of its important player like an outcast? How do you look at a man who has bled for your badge and decide that the perfect reward is abandonment?
Please, where is Pinto???
When he quietly arrived from Delta Force five seasons ago, no one took notice of the midfielder but he chose to etch his name into the starting XI and succeeded. A versatile, intelligent, and selfless footballer who could fit anywhere in the midfield and also ready to deputize everywhere else. He built rhythm. He gave balance. He led without screaming and became the spine of the team. And yet, when his body gave out in Enyimba’s active service, the club turned its back, blind eyes and deaf ears. Downright Heartless!
Where is Pinto???
For such a player who has taken responsibility for his teammates and Enyimba at various points, isn’t it cruel that those in charge cannot even take responsibility for him. Is this how we reward loyalty and dedication? Is this the new Enyimba brand we are building? I thought we were going to get even more professional with ex-professional footballers at the helm of affairs but it appears that they seem to be a chip off the old block.
Enyimba was once perceived to be the gold standard of Nigerian club football, not just for our success but for the brand image (to an extent). Now, we cannot even take care of a player who gave us everything. If you are at Enyimba currently as a player and you hear this, what will happen to your level of commitment? Even as we seem to look at recruiting the next generation, will they even want to dress for Enyimba knowing that they will be on their own in the case of any eventuality?
We cannot keep pretending everything is fine. A structure that forgets its important staff is a structure without a human face. A club that cannot care for its wounded soldiers has already lost all the rights to call itself the standard. Just as injuries are a part of the game, shouldn’t it be the club’s responsibility to nurse an injured player back to health? He is an asset and if we treat assets this way, we’ll end up having more liabilities in the dressing room than assets and that will be a disaster!
This new Enyimba loves to talk about legacy, greatness and professionalism. But these do not lie in trophies; it runs deeper into what we do everywhere and how we do it. Some will attribute the slow downward spiral to karma but maybe it is more about where our priorities lie as a club than what we keep saying to the public.
Guess what? This is never going away. Where is Pinto? Kanu, Ekwueme, Gov Otti, Please where is our starboy?
EnyimbaEnyi 💙
