Enyimba ‘back on track’ as Lawrence Ukaegbu declares crisis over

Enyimba head coach Lawrence Ukaegbu says “the storm is over” at the club as the Nigeria Professional Football League side attempt to recover from a difficult start to the season.

The former junior international believes recent problems were part of the pressures that can affect major clubs, but says a united response has helped restore calm and improve the team’s performances.

“The crisis really affected the players and our output on the field. But now everything has calmed down,” Ukaegbu said.

Enyimba chairman Kanu Nwankwo has played a central role in easing the situation, according to Ukaegbu, who described the problems as a misunderstanding over responsibilities.

“The chairman, Kanu Nwankwo, has asked everyone to calm down and work together. It was a misunderstanding of roles, which should not have arisen in the first place,” he said.

“But Kanu is a calm man, who does his thing with all sense of responsibility. He has been able to galvanise the team, hence the results people are beginning to see.”

Ukaegbu acknowledged that attempts by outside interests to take control of the club remain, but insisted Kanu’s attention is firmly on helping Enyimba achieve success.

The club are currently 18th in the NPFL standings, yet Ukaegbu remains confident that the squad can challenge for honours. He also pointed to the experience of Cameroonian technical adviser Emmanuel Deutsch as a significant strength.

“Ask any of the teams that have faced us this season, even in matches we lost. They will tell you that Enyimba is the team to beat,” Ukaegbu said.

He also credited the quality within the squad and Deutsch’s expertise for his belief that Enyimba can still mount a strong campaign.

“We have a perfect technical advisor, Emmanuel Deutsch from Cameroon. He is well experienced. And the quality in the players we have makes me feel and believe that we will carry the league,” Ukaegbu said.

“Even if we don’t win the league, we will play on the continent next season.”

Enyimba have the opportunity to build on their renewed confidence when they travel to Lafia this weekend to face Nasarawa United.

The fixture will be their next chance to collect points and begin moving away from the lower reaches of the NPFL table as they seek to make up for the ground lost during the early crisis.