Suleiman Anyalewechi, Aba
Barring any last-minute change of mind by the Dr Alex Otti administration, the Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu led management team of the peoples Elephant, Enyimba football club of Aba is set to be the latest casualty of the gale of dissolutions rocking some establishments in Abia state.
This is even as former Super Eagles and Arsenal attacking midfield maestro Kanu Nwankwo is said to have been pencilled down to step into Anyansi Agwu’s shoes, NewCritic online can authoritatively reveal.
NewsCritic online reports that this is coming after the Anyansi Agwu led management, had about three weeks ago led the team to its 9th league title in the Nigeria Professional League.
The management which has been in charge since 1999, also has led the team to the summit of Nigeria and African football, with Enyimba being the only club side from the country to have won the elusive Champions league diadem and back to back.
Impeccable sources close to the management of the team told NewsCritic online on Saturday July 1, 2023 that plans have been concluded to sack the Anyansi led management with the announcement set to be made soon.
Although, the management team may have appeared to have stayed in place for long, its planned dissolution has sparked apprehensions among many followers of the team, who fear that such a move may not augur well for the team.
“Yes, some may say that the man Anyansi has been there for too long. But what the same people don’t appreciate is that football is like politics in this country. There are more to football administration in Nigeria than the ordinary followers of the game will understand.
This has been the main reason the man (Anyansi) has been able to survive successive regimes in the state. When past governments came on board, some of them wanted to change the system, but when they realize how the man is needed in the intricate politics of Nigeria football, and the negative effects unnecessary changes could have on the fortunes of the club, they retraced their steps. The bottom line is that Anyansi by his current position within the Nigeria Football Federation NFF is an asset to the team and the state, and the earlier this fact is appreciated the better.
Another problem will be how to manage the team, if as we are suspecting Kanu Nwankwo is appointed as the chairman, and Finidi George his senior in the national team remains the coach, unless you are planning to sack the coach even after winning the league trophy, otherwise I cannot see how possible it is going to be for Finidi to be bossed by Kanu,”one source told NewsCritic online.
As at the time of reporting on Saturday, July 1, 2023 Chief Anyansi could not be reached as one of our reliable sources revealed that he has travelled outside the country, and equally aware of the plans to remove him in the management of the team.
Spokesperson for the club Zassy Barazy also could not be reached for comments. Recall that Anyansi Agwu was in 2022 elected the 1stVice President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
