Legendary Nigerian footballers Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke added a touch of glamour to Tuesday’s Nigeria Premier Football League match in Aba, where Enyimba and Heartland clashed in the highly anticipated Oriental Derby.
Both George and Amuneke are contenders for the vacant Super Eagles head coach position following the departure of former manager Jose Peseiro.
Peseiro, despite leading the national team to the AFCON 2023 final, couldn’t secure a contract renewal with the Nigeria Football Federation.
Despite their current competition for the coaching role, Finidi and Amuneke displayed great sportsmanship, warmly embracing each other to the delight of fans and spectators at the Enyimba International Stadium.
The NPFL has gradually been attracting more fans back to the stadium while others are staying glued to the action on TV through Startimes, who broadcast selected matches on their Beta Sports Channel 244 dedicated for NPFL coverage.
Victory for Enyimba
On the pitch, Enyimba emerged victorious in the derby, edging out Heartland FC of Owerri 1-0 in a crucial match on matchday 30 of the NPFL. This result significantly impacted Heartland’s fight against relegation, dealing a major blow to their survival hopes.
Ekene Awaziem, nicknamed “The People’s Elephant,” scored the only goal for Enyimba in the 35th minute, expertly receiving a pass from Chigozie Chilekwu.
In a post-match interview, Enyimba coach Finidi George praised his team for achieving a double win over their regional rivals.
Finidi reflects on victory
“It feels good to win games,” George said. “We knew it was going to be a tough one because Heartland FC is fighting to survive relegation.
“But looking at the game, I think we had all the chances to score lots of goals, but that did not happen.
“At a time in the game, I became scared of the visitors attacking threat, but thank God it ended in our favour.”
With a touch of humour, George added, ” I believed that we were going to win because I told the players to win this game for my birthday, and they did just that,”
George also acknowledged his team’s current injury struggles, explaining the adjustments made to the defence for the match against Heartland.
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“We’re dealing with several injuries in defence,” George revealed. “This is why we had to convert midfielder Chibuike Nwaiwu and defensive midfielder Daniel Daga into fullbacks. Thankfully, the strategy paid off. Although the score remained 1-0, we missed several chances. Our strikers are aware of this and disappointed with themselves, which shows their commitment.”
Tuesday’s Derby victory propelled Enyimba to the second position in the league standings with 51 points.
Meanwhile, Heartland remain firmly in the relegation zone, sitting in 19th place with only 26 points after 30 matches played.
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