Enyimba are fighting for their NPFL lives this season, but former Kwara United coach Samson Unuanel is backing the eight-time Nigerian champions to find their way out of trouble before the final whistle.
Unuanel Speaks Out on Enyimba’s Situation
Samson Unuanel doesn’t sugarcoat things. When the former Kwara United coach looks at where Enyimba are sitting in the 2025/26 NPFL table, he sees a problem. But he also sees a club with enough in the tank to solve it.
“This is not the best of times for Enyimba at the moment going by where the team currently sit on the league table,” Unuanel told FootballInNigeria.com.ng. “It’s just a few points that separate them from Wikki Tourists, Kwara United, and Remo Stars, a sign that means the team must fasten their belts well.”
As things stand after Matchday 32 of the 2025/26 season, Enyimba are placed 15th on the NPFL table. With four clubs going down at season’s end, that’s not a comfortable position for a club of their stature. It’s a genuine fight, not a theoretical one.
Why Unuanel Still Believes
Despite the nervy table position, Unuanel won’t write the People’s Elephant off. His argument is simple: experience wins in a crisis. Enyimba have been through more than most NPFL clubs ever will, and they’ve always found a way.
“I am still optimistic Enyimba won’t be relegated from the NPFL because they have the experience to maintain their top-flight status,” he said. “The players also need to put in more hard work to achieve this incredible result at the end of the season.”
It’s a message that’s part encouragement, part warning. Unuanel knows better than most what it takes to survive in the NPFL. He’s managed in this league. He knows there’s no margin for error when you’re in 15th place with six matches left.
How Did Enyimba Get Here?
It’s worth asking. This is a club that won eight NPFL titles, conquered Africa twice, and built a global reputation through the early 2000s. The People’s Elephant was once the gold standard of Nigerian club football. What happened?
This season hasn’t been kind to them. Inconsistency, a leaky defence, and failure to win close matches have cost Enyimba dearly. Matchday 32 brought a 2-1 win over Abia Warriors, which was a welcome three points, but the breathing room is still thin.
There are six matchdays left. Enyimba’s upcoming fixtures will define the season. The most notable is a Matchday 33 clash away at Enugu Rangers, who are fighting for the title. That’s not the kind of fixture a side in 15th place wants right now. For those keeping a close eye on the NPFL survival battle, the Bet9ja YOHAIG promo code gives bettors up to ₦100,000 to stake on these high-stakes relegation-zone matchups.
The Bigger Picture
Enyimba’s survival is about more than just one club. When a team of their history and size gets dragged into a relegation battle, it tells a story about how far standards have slipped. The People’s Elephant are supposed to be competing at the top of this table, not scrambling at the bottom.
Unuanel’s backing matters, but it won’t win matches. Only Enyimba’s players can do that. Six games. Six opportunities to write a different ending to this story.
📌 Did You Know?
- Enyimba are the only Nigerian club to win the CAF Champions League back-to-back, achieving the feat in 2003 and 2004 under coach Eguavoen — making their current relegation fight one of the starkest contrasts in Nigerian football history.
- Samson Unuanel previously served as Kwara United head coach before parting ways with the club earlier in the 2025/26 season. Kwara United are themselves battling relegation in the same zone as Enyimba.
- Enyimba’s eight NPFL titles make them one of the most decorated clubs in Nigerian football history, behind only Shooting Stars (9 titles) in the all-time title count.
- The NPFL currently relegates four clubs at the end of each season. With six Matchdays remaining, Enyimba in 15th place are just one poor run of form away from the drop zone becoming an urgent reality.
- Francis Uzoho, who was a key part of Enyimba’s academy system before breaking into European football, began his professional journey at the Enyimba FC Youth Academy in Aba before moving to Europe as a teenager.
- Enyimba’s Matchday 32 win over Abia Warriors was a local derby clash, with both clubs representing Abia State. Results in these rivalry derbies often carry extra psychological weight in the survival battle.
- The People’s Elephant have never been relegated from the NPFL since their promotion in the 1980s, making any potential drop this season a genuinely historic and unwanted first for the Aba-based club.
