By Wale Mustapha
Enyimba will be without first-choice goalkeeper Ozoemena Ani when they face Sunshine Stars in a Matchday 33 fixture of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on Sunday.
Technical Adviser Stanley Eguma confirmed Ani’s absence, citing an ankle injury sustained during their previous match against Abia Warriors in Aba.
Although the goalkeeper has resumed training, Eguma stated that he is not yet ready for competitive action.
“Ani has returned to training, but he won’t be part of the team that will play Sunshine Stars on Sunday in Ijebu Ode,” Eguma said.
“Yes, he has recovered and resumed training. I don’t want to rush him. I want to give him time to regain full fitness before he starts keeping in matches.”
Enyimba head into the encounter with only two wins in their last five games. The eight-time NPFL champions currently sit in eighth place on the league table with 46 points from 32 matches.
Meanwhile, Sunshine Stars are battling relegation. The Akure-based side are winless in their last five outings and occupy 19th place with 35 points from 32 games.
The match is scheduled to take place at the Otunba Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
