It is still a mirage to many fans of the Enyimba Football Club of Aba how their darling team was a formidable powerhouse in the continent and national football space has suddenly become so feeble and uncoordinated under the chairmanship of Nwankwo Kanu.
The Abia State government in 2023 quickly removed Felix Anyasi-Agwu as the chairman of the club, and appointed legendary Kanu in his place, but seems to be finding it difficult to restore the team’s lost glory.
Many fans of the ‘People’s Elephant’ as they are popularly known are worried that the club’s fortune since Kanu took over the leadership in the club’s management has been dwindling.
Some of the fans who had thought that the coming of ‘Papilo’ as Kanu is known among his fans, would be the catalyst of positive change for the team are disappointed as they watch their club’s fortune plummeting the more.
Philip Adefioye, a veteran sports analyst with FRCN described the development as disturbing.
“Kanu Nwankwo has failed Enyimba, he could not take the club up the level Anyansi-Agwu did, which many thought his coming onboard would translate into.
Though he was a successful football player, being an administrator is quite a different kettle of fish. He doesn’t have the kind of experience Felix Anyansi-Agwu brought on board in his time.
Being a successful footballer doesn’t mean one would succeed as an administrator. It’s so painful that while the team is playing he is out abroad doing his things. I think he should resign because Enyimba is a brand that should be better managed,” he said.
Similarly, Friday Erhabor, a football enthusiast said it is disturbing that the club is struggling despite having an experienced ex-footballer as its chairman.
“Sincerely speaking the case of Enyimba and Kanu Nwakwo is still a shocking disappointment because one would have expected that as an ex-international with a global experience, he would bring his wealth of experience to bear.
But we are yet to see that; my only excuse for him, for now, is that revitalising a team is not a season thing. It takes years for the effort to yield results.
“Being a chairman is not like being a coach. Coaching is technical. The chairman is administrative office which takes a bit of time to yield results. I think he should be given time to prove himself,” he said.
Erhabor pointed out that the club is doing well by attracting some ex-internationals to the club.
“At least the club has attracted an ex-international player to come back home to play for the club in the person of Brown Idehen. That is a credit we must not ignore. They may not have worn trophy but that is a plus,” he noted.
Chima Nwosu, a football fan believes the problem of Enyimba is poor funding, just like every other Nigerian public venture.
“The challenge of Enyimba FC is the challenge of Nigeria, poor funding in a poorly administered football league. The main reason for the poor funding is the fact that the state government doesn’t see the club as its priority,” he said.
Nwosu maintained that because of poor funding, the club could not recruit quality players, and that it is an issue of the administrator’s competence.
Paul Erikewe, the coach of Paul Oluos FC also does not believe the problem is that of Kanu’s incompetence.
“I don’t want to believe that Nwankwo Kanu is not good enough because he has seen it all maybe he is not getting the necessary support that is needed to run the club and motivate the boys,” he said.
Before his removal Anyansi-Agwu, a Nigerian football administrator served as chairman of Enyimba F.C. from 1999. Under his leadership, the club rose from a relatively unknown club to one of Africa’s most successful clubs.
He led the team to win two African Champions League titles, nine Nigerian championships, and four Federation Cups, among others.
In 2003, Enyimba won the Best Team in Africa award while Kadiri Ikhana, the coach then emerged as the best coach in the continent.
In 2004, the club retained the Best Coach award while the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama won the Champions League Player of the Year.
Two Champions League victories in the hands of West African teams, plus the second CAF Super Cup against Accra Hearts of Oak finally brought Enyimba to the limelight of African football. The team signed a $300,000 uniform deal with Joma in 2008.
However, in 2023, when Kanu assumed office as the Peoples’ Elephant’s new chairman the club’s fortune began to dwindle.
In frustration, one of the fans cried out thus; “It seems he doesn’t know why we made him the chairman or his job. Sir, we made you our chairman for you to take us to another level, but the level you are taking us to now is what we can’t understand. We fans are disappointed.
You now stay abroad while we suffer here, if you can’t do the job bro, please step down. This is not the Enyimba FC we used to know. My chairman, how many times have you even come to watch your boys’ games? We are tired of all these!” he stated.
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