Enyimba survived relegation on the final day of the 2025/26 NPFL season, and former midfielder Chinedu Ufere has delivered a message of hope to the club’s supporters while setting sights on the President Federation Cup as a route back to continental football.
It was not the season anyone at Enyimba had planned for. Nigeria’s most decorated club, the record nine-time NPFL champions, spent much of the 2025/26 campaign looking over their shoulder rather than up at the title contenders. A 3-0 home victory over El-Kanemi Warriors on the final day of the season secured their top flight status, but finishing 11th with 49 points from 38 games was not what the People’s Elephant and their passionate fanbase had come to expect.
Former Enyimba midfielder Chinedu Ufere has broken his silence on the difficult campaign, speaking to the club’s official platform and offering a frank assessment of what went wrong while pointing firmly towards a better future. His words carried the kind of measured honesty that supporters of a club like Enyimba deserve after a season so far below their standards.
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Ufere Reflects on a Painful Campaign
Speaking after the final whistle against El-Kanemi, Ufere made no attempt to dress up what had been a bruising season for the club. He acknowledged that there were moments when it genuinely seemed like relegation was coming, and he gave credit to everyone at the club who fought through the uncertainty.
“It was a challenging season because at some point it seemed like the Club was going down. But I thank God that everybody in the team, the coaches, backroom staff, players and fans, showed character, they showed commitment, they fought, and we’re still in the league. This was not the season we planned for. This wasn’t where we planned to end, but this is football, and anything can happen.”
The win over El-Kanemi on the final day was decisive in more ways than one. The Warriors, who lost 3-0 in Aba, were relegated to the Nigeria National League as a result of the defeat. For Enyimba, the same result meant survival. Two goals from Stanley Dimgba in the 27th and 37th minutes, followed by a third from Uwana Asuquo in the 87th minute, gave the scoreline a commanding look that belied just how tight the situation had been for much of the campaign.
Ufere also took time to praise the squad for their resilience through the adversity, adding that the experience of fighting through a rough patch would ultimately strengthen the club.
“I appreciate the players for all they did, the commitment. They were up and doing despite the challenges. Sometimes, it’s like that: you’ll see a big team falling. After the ups and downs, we came out stronger. We believe next season will be better, far better than this season.”
The Title Race Enyimba Watched From Afar
While Enyimba were scrambling for survival, Rangers International of Enugu were winning the NPFL title on the same final day with a 2-1 victory over Ikorodu City in Lagos. Captain Chidiebere Nwobodo’s brace sealed Rangers’ ninth NPFL crown, drawing them level with Enyimba as the most decorated clubs in Nigerian top flight history. It was a moment that underlined just how much has shifted in the domestic game. The club that once dominated Nigerian football from 2001 to 2008 with eight consecutive titles watched their rivals pull level from the wrong end of the table.
Rivers United finished second, one point behind Rangers, after winning their own final-day game comfortably. For Enyimba, the contrast with where they belong and where they finished this season could not have been starker, and Ufere’s acknowledgement of that reality was exactly the kind of honest self assessment the club needs going into the off season. NPFL followers can stay up to date with all the latest from the FootballInNigeria.com.ng season review coverage and news ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Federation Cup: The Road Back to the Continent
With the league campaign over, Enyimba’s focus shifts immediately to the President Federation Cup, where a Round of 32 tie against Gombe United awaits. For Ufere, this competition represents more than just silverware. It is the club’s only remaining path to CAF competition next season, and he made clear that the squad intends to treat every remaining fixture as a cup final.
“In the Federation Cup, we are playing Gombe United in the next round, and we are going to give everything because we want to take the team back to where it belongs, in the continent. The Federation Cup is our only chance, and we are not going to take it lightly. We are going all out. Every game is a final!”
Enyimba’s continental pedigree is well established. The club has won the CAF Champions League twice, in 2003 and 2004, and their supporters have not forgotten what it feels like to have African football coming to Aba. Getting back there through the President Federation Cup would provide some redemption for a difficult league season and give the squad something to build on ahead of what Ufere hopes will be a much-improved 2026/27 NPFL campaign. New Bet9ja users following the Federation Cup can use the Bet9ja welcome bonus to get started before the knockout rounds begin.
What Needs to Change
The numbers from this season tell a stark story. Forty-nine points from 38 games is a return more consistent with a mid-table side than a club of Enyimba’s ambitions. The People’s Elephant will need significant squad reinforcement and a clearer tactical identity in the off season if they are to avoid a repeat of the anxiety that defined large portions of this campaign. The Federation Cup run, if it goes well, could buy some goodwill and provide the momentum heading into the new season. But the hard work of rebuilding Enyimba into a genuine title contender starts the moment this cup run ends, regardless of how far they go. Bet9ja’s booking code feature lets fans pre-select their Federation Cup bets ahead of each round.
📌 Did You Know?
- Rangers International’s 2025/26 NPFL title was their ninth league crown, drawing them level with Enyimba as the joint-most successful clubs in Nigeria’s top-flight history.
- Enyimba won eight consecutive NPFL titles between 2001 and 2008, the longest unbroken title run in the history of the Nigerian domestic league.
- Enyimba’s final day 3-0 win over El-Kanemi Warriors directly condemned the Maiduguri club to relegation to the Nigeria National League, with El-Kanemi dropping out of the top flight as a result of that defeat.
- Enyimba won the CAF Champions League in back to back seasons in 2003 and 2004, becoming the first Nigerian club to win the competition and only the second to retain the title in successive years.
- Stanley Dimgba scored twice in the final-day survival win over El-Kanemi, netting in the 27th and 37th minutes to put the game beyond doubt before Uwana Asuquo added a third in injury time.
- The President Federation Cup, formerly known as the FA Cup and then the Aiteo Cup, is Nigeria’s premier knockout cup competition and historically provides the winner with entry into the CAF Confederation Cup the following season.
- Enyimba’s home ground, the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba, has a capacity of around 20,000 and has hosted some of the most memorable nights in Nigerian club football history, including their continental campaigns of the early 2000s.
