Atule’s thunderbolt sinks El Kanemi in Aba

A moment of brilliance and man of the match performance from Joseph Atule proved decisive as Enyimba edged Elkanemi Warriors 1-0 in a fierce NPFL fixture on Sunday evening.

The thrilling encounter at the Enyimba Stadium saw The People’s Elephant dominate proceedings, but a lack of cutting-edge finishing left Technical Adviser Stanley Eguma ruing missed opportunities.

Atule’s match-winning goal came in the 28th minute when Isah Mohammed threaded a precise pass to Mujeeb Odufeso, who swiftly turned and played in Atule. The winger wasted no time in unleashing a venomous volley past Kolawole Oladipo, sending the home fans into wild celebrations.

Despite Enyimba’s attacking prowess and relentless pressure, the game remained a one-goal affair—a fact that left Eguma less than satisfied. While acknowledging the vital three points, the experienced tactician expressed concerns over his side’s wastefulness in front of goal, warning that such inefficiency could prove costly in long run.

“It’s a thing of worry. At this point in time, goals will really give us hope and motivation,” Eguma admitted.

“If we had converted those chances, we could have played better than we did. Defending a single goal for 90 minutes is never easy. One good thing is that we are creating chances, which means our drills and tactics are working. But now, the issue is conversion. The conversion rate has to increase so we can put away our chances.”

Enyimba’s dominance was evident, but their inability to put the game to bed meant they had to endure nervous moments against a resilient Elkanemi side. While the victory strengthens their position in the NPFL standings, Eguma insists that his team must develop a ruthless streak in front of goal.

“It’s a good result; it brightens our hope, and confidence is returning to the team,” he added. “When we came in, the players’ psychology was low, but now they are beginning to believe in themselves. Some of them are new to the system, so we had to encourage them and show them the right direction. We haven’t really arrived, but gradually, we are improving, and in time, we will get better.”

Looking ahead to Enyimba’s next challenge—an away clash against Ikorodu City in Lagos—Eguma acknowledged the opposition’s youthful energy and cohesion but remained optimistic about securing maximum points.

“We know they are a youthful side like Elkanemi. They have stayed together, and their cohesion is helping them, but we are Enyimba. We know the three points at stake are very useful to us, and we will go there with the mentality to win.”