Nigeria Leagues
NPFL: Yemi Olanrewaju plays down Enyimba’s title favorite tag
By Wale Mustapha
Enyimba head coach Yemi Olanrewaju has downplayed his team’s chances of winning the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title, despite a resounding 4-1 comeback victory over Rivers United in Aba on Sunday.
In a thrilling match, Enyimba overturned an early goal from Rivers United’s Andy Okpe, with Chijioke Mbaoma and Akanni Elijah each scoring twice to secure the win for the home side.
Olanrewaju, who recently returned from a coaching refresher course in Scotland, praised his players for their performance but maintained that the team still has room for improvement.
“We are taking every game at a time. We are not the favorites for the league. Rangers and Remo Stars are the favorites,” Olanrewaju stated.
“We will compete till the end even though we will not win it. We will go to Enugu, respect them, and play our game. We want to enjoy every game either home or away.”
Reflecting on the match, Olanrewaju expressed mixed emotions about the performance: “I feel great and a bit sad for conceding that goal because the whole 90 minutes, our goalkeeper was on holiday because I knew they were not going to survive us. They are not at the level I wanted yet; by the time they get to the level I want, you will find it difficult to cope against us.”
He continued, “We take these three points and four goals and move on to the next game. We are making progress. I was happy with their reaction after conceding. This is the first time we concede first and win the game for the past two years I have been in Enyimba.”
Enyimba has accumulated 59 points, placing them second on the NPFL log.
They will next face table toppers Enugu Rangers at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium in Enugu on Sunday, in what promises to be a crucial fixture in the title race.
