Emmanuel Deutsch Blames Wastefulness As Enyimba Held In Oriental Derby

Head coach Emmanuel Deutsch has attributed Enyimba F.C.’s 1-1 draw against Kun Khalifat FC in Sunday’s Oriental Derby in Aba to his side’s profligacy in front of goal.

James Ekebuike stunned the home supporters when he fired the visitors ahead seven minutes before half-time. However, the People’s Elephant restored parity five minutes from full time as experienced defender Ekene Awaziem broke Kun Khalifat’s resistance to the delight of the Aba faithful.

Kun Khalifat had earlier ended Enyimba’s unbeaten start to the 2025/2026 NPFL season with a 1-0 victory at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri during a Matchday 8 encounter, adding extra edge to Sunday’s clash.

The result marked Deutsch’s second game in charge of Enyimba, with both fixtures ending 1-1 — first against Rivers United F.C. in Port Harcourt and now against Kun Khalifat in Aba.

A visibly frustrated Deutsch did not conceal his disappointment after the match, lamenting his players’ inability to convert their dominance into goals despite creating several clear-cut chances.

“It’s very painful. We missed so many opportunities; it could have been up to four goals in the first half,” the Cameroonian tactician said.

“When you miss so many chances and they have one opportunity which they put inside the net, coming back into the game is always difficult.”

Deutsch also criticised what he described as persistent time-wasting tactics from the visitors, claiming it disrupted the rhythm of the contest.

“We couldn’t play more than 60 minutes of football. The goalkeeper (of Kun Khalifat) wasted more than 22 minutes and he wasn’t cautioned.

“But we can’t question anybody; rather, we have to work hard. We can still recover the dropped points in an away game.”

Despite the setback, Enyimba remain in the mix as the NPFL campaign intensifies, with Deutsch confident his side can bounce back in the coming fixtures.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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