Enyimba International F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Enyimba


fullname = Enyimba International Football Club
nickname = Peoples' Elephant
founded = 1976
ground = Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, Nigeria
capacity = 20,000 | chairman = Felix Anyansi-Agwu
manager = Maurice Cooreman flagicon|Belgium
league = Globacom Premier League
season = 2004/05
position = Globacom Premier League, Winner
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Enyimba International Football Club is a Nigerian football (soccer) club in the city of Aba which plays in the Globacom Premier League. Better known as Enyimba, which means "Elephant" in Igbo and is the nickname for the city of Aba. Accordingly, the club's nickname is "The Peoples' Elephant."

The club was founded in November 1976 by Sir Jerry Amadi Enyeazu, a Nigerian sports personality who was the first Director of Sports in the then newly created Imo State, in southeastern Nigeria.

The club became the property of the Abia State Government when Abia was created from Imo state on 27th August 1991.

Early years

After its formation, due to the traditional and well established club sides in the country, Enyimba did not make any impact in the 70s and 80s, when teams like the Rangers of Enugu, Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Insurance of Benin and local rivals, Spartans of Owerri were dominant. Enyimba's success began when the professional league was inaugurated in the country in 1990.

Professional league

In the first season of the professional league, Enyimba finished 13th on the table with 36 points. The Club played 30 matches; won 5, drew 14, and lost 11. It scored 25 goals and conceded 36, with a difference of -11. The league then had a 16 team format.

In 1992/93 Enyimba was relegated to the second division. However, the club returned to the top division, setting a record in the second division as the team emerged the champions winning with 96 points, which is still a record in Nigerian football history.

Between 1994 & 1996 Enyimba placed 3rd & 4th respectively, then had inconsistent results for six years.

New management

The history of the Peoples' Elephant changed in 1999 when young businessman Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu emerged as the newly elected Governor of Abia state after several years of military rule in Nigeria.

In his inaugural speech, the sports-loving Governor took personal interest in making sure that Enyimba became the best club in Nigeria and Africa. One of the first things the Governor did was to change the Enyimba management board. This brought in a young and result oriented chairman of the club, Felix Anyansi Agwu.

Enyimba won their first Nigerian professional league crown in 2001 under Coach Godwin Koko Uwa.

That year, Enyimba was invited to Italy on August 19th to play an international friendly match against Inter Milan in honor of their Brazilian striker Ronaldo who recovered from an injury.

As the league champions in 2001, Enyimba represented Nigeria in the CAF Champions League in 2002. Due to the lack of a good playing ground at their base in Aba, the club played their home matches in Calabar, a neighbouring town and capital of Cross River State.

The Peoples Elephant was however eliminated in the second round of the continental competition by the 1998 Champions ASEC Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire.

That surprise defeat changed everything for the club as the financier; Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu decided to rebuild what used to be a play ground in Aba into Enyimba International Stadium, a 25,000 capacity International stadium, complete with floodlights, electronic scoreboard and covered seats.

CAF president Alhaji Issa Hayatou inspected the stadium in 2003 and approved it for that year’s African Champions League matches.

Enyimba, complete with their new stadium, became 2002 Nigerian champions. The club broke a 38 year old jinx by being the first Nigerian club to win the CAF Champions league in 2003, beating Ismaily SC of Egypt in the final, under Coach Kadiri Ikhana assisted by Emmanuel Iorse and Ifeanyi Okeke as goalkeeper trainer.

Enyimba successfully defended their title as African champions in 2004, beating Etoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia in the finals in Abuja.

They also capped these wins with the Nigerian FA Cup for the first time in 2005, becoming double champions.

Awards

These victories also attracted awards. In 2003, Enyimba won the best team in Africa award while coach Kadiri emerged the best coach. 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.

These two Champions league victories in the hands of North African teams, plus the second CAF Super Cup against Accra Hearts of Oak finally brought Enyimba to the limelight of African football. Today, playing up to the quarter-finals of the African Champions league has become a yearly event.

The Peoples' Elephant is currently exploiting marketing opportunities that will take the club to its deserved height. Thye recently signed a $300,000 uniform deal with Joma.

The Enyimba stadium records a sell-out in all its matches, both local and international.

Current Squad

Reserve Team

Staff

Head Coach
*Maurice Cooreman

Assistant Coach
*Augustine Eguavoen

Goalkeeper Trainer
*Ike Shorunmu

"'Team Manager"
*Deboy Ekweronu

National Coordinator
*Darlington Azubuike

Physiotherapist
*Ferdinand Ajere

Welfare Officer
*Ume Mba

Team Nurse
*Ngozi Francis

Former Players

*Nnaemeka Onovo
*David Tyavkase
*Kola Ademola
*Garba Yaro-Yaro Ahmed
*Raphael Chukwu
*Benedict Idahor
*John Gaadi
*Kelechi Iheanacho
*Emmanuel Issah
*Chukwudi Nwogu
*Pascal Ojigwe
*Ndongo Ukhana
*Christian Chukwu Okoro
* Emeka Ezeugo
* Eric Fashindo
* Atanda Sakibu
* Benedict Atule
* Oliver Agbo
* Mangut Mbwas
* Mohammed Pele
* Aliyu Musa
* Alhaji Mohammed
* Ambrose Aikhomuogbe
* Alphonsus Ezimorah

Achievements

*Nigerian Premier League: 5:: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007

*Nigerian FA Cup: 1:: 2005

*CAF Champions League: 2::2003, 2004

Performance in CAF competitions

*CAF Champions League:::2002 - Second Round::2003 - Champion::2004 - Champion::2005 - Group Stage::2006 - Group Stage::2008 - "in progress"

External links

* [http://www.enyimbafc.net/ Club's website]
* [http://www.hqfl.dk/gfx/logos/nga/enyimba_international.gifClub badge]
* [http://completesportsnigeria.com/details.php?category=news&id=1108 CAF Champions League result]