In a clash that lived up to its billing, Enyimba FC and Heartland FC played out a pulsating 1-1 draw in their NPFL Matchday 21 Oriental Derby at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba.
It was a night of high-intensity football, drama, and resilience, as both sides refused to back down in one of the fiercest rivalries in Nigerian football.
Heartland, still reeling from their first-round home defeat to the People’s Elephant, came out firing on all cylinders.
Their relentless pressing forced early errors, one of which proved costly when former Enyimba winger, Ekpo Daniel, coolly converted a penalty in the 17th minute to give the visitors a surprise lead.
Enyimba, however, roared back into contention, showing their championship DNA. Brown Ideye, the vastly experienced striker, came close to restoring parity but was denied by the brilliant reflexes of Heartland’s goalkeeper, Kelvin Ngunga .
The equalizer eventually came when Joseph Atule latched onto a pinpoint pass from Fatai Abdullahi down the left flank, calmly tucking the ball past the onrushing keeper to level the scores.
The second half was a tactical chess game, filled with breathtaking end-to-end action. Enyimba’s goalkeeper, Ani Ozoemena, emerged as the hero, pulling off stunning one-on-one saves to deny Heartland a late winner.
Reacting to the game, Enyimba’s Technical Adviser, Stanley Eguma, hailed his team’s fighting spirit despite their hectic schedule.
“We expected to win, but we got a draw. This is a derby, and we knew it would be tough, especially after beating them in the first round. They came with everything, but we stood our ground,” Eguma said.
The gaffer also pointed out the toll of Enyimba’s grueling fixture congestion, having played two games every week for the past three weeks, including taxing travels to Egypt, Kano, and Ilorin.
“Fatigue is setting in, but we keep pushing. The goal we conceded was a mistake, but we gave our all. Now, we focus on the next game in Bauchi—it will be a different ball game, and we will fight for the three points,” he assured.
As the NPFL title race heats up, Enyimba remains in contention, but with relentless fixtures ahead, the champions must dig even deeper to keep their ambitions alive.
