Champions! Super Eagles great inspires Enyimba to ninth NPFL title after outwitting Rivers United

The Aba Elephants ended their four-year wait for the biggest prize in the country after shooting down the defending champions

Super Eagles legend George Finidi has guided Enyimba to win the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League title following a 1-1 draw with defending champions Rivers United at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos on Sunday night.

Both Rivers United and Enyimba started the day joint-top of the NPFL Super 6 with eight points apiece after winning two and drawing two of their first four games.

But after Remo Stars defeated Bendel Insurance 1-0 in the other match of the day, Enyimba knew only a draw would secure their first league triumph since 2019.

And it was former Ifeanyi Uba ace Ekene Awazie who drew first blood for the Aba Elephants, giving the fans a lot to cheer with a 39th-minute opener.

Only a win could see Rivers United overtake Enyimba, though, and the 2022 champions started the second half in excellent fashion as Nyima Nekabari Nwagua netted their equaliser only three minutes after the break.

But hard as the Pride of Rivers tried, they could not find the winning goal until the end of the encounter.

Finidi, appointed Enyimba’s head coach in September 2021, jumped for joy at the final whistle as he claimed his first major title as a manager.

With the triumph, Enyimba have secured the N100 million prize money and a spot in next season’s CAF Champions League.

Remo Stars also sealed the second Champions League ticket, while Rivers United settled for a CAF Confederations Cup slot following their third-place finish.