Enyimba interim head coach Lawrence Ukaegbu has voiced his delight following Enyimba’s 3–1 victory over Kwara United in their Matchday 17 Nigeria Premier Football League clash in Aba on Sunday, describing the contest as a strong all-round performance from his team, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The People’s Elephant had taken the lead in the first half through Samuel Agu but Kwara United responded before the break when Toyeeb Gidado struck to restore parity.
Enyimba, however asserted their dominance after the interval with Chidera Michael scoring twice in the space of three minutes to put the game beyond reach and secure all three points.
“It was a good game, and that was what we expected,” the 56-year-old tactician said. “We really trained well for the match. It wasn’t a surprise; it was a good game for us.”
“Apart from the mistakes (from the Kwara United goalkeeper), you know we missed some scoring chances too.
“The target, however, is to get nine points from our next three games.”
“We did that (won 3-1 against Kwara United) successfully because of the pattern we played,” he disclosed. “We played with a 4-2-3-1 formation, and as we are returning to defend, it changes to 4-5-1.
“Now, we are going to El Kanemi; we know how they play. We are not going to use the same formation, we’ll change our formation, which I will not reveal.”
The two-time African champions will turn their attention to their next assignment on Sunday, when they travel to Maiduguri to take on El Kanemi Warriors. The fixture presents another opportunity to build on recent progress as the season gathers momentum.
Ahead of the encounter, Ukaegbu has made it clear that the focus is firmly on sustaining their winning run, with preparations already underway to ensure the team carries its confidence into the difficult away test.
That latest victory has lifted the record nine-time league champions to eighth place on the NPFL table. They now have 23 points from 17 matches, sitting eight points adrift of leaders Nasarawa United who top the standings with 31 points.
By Oluwadamilola Olaleye