By JOHN PAUL NNAMDI
The game between
Abia Warriors and Enyimba over the years has come in different shades.
Both clubs have
met seven times in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) and Abia
Warriors have been able to get two victories out of those meetings. The
Peoples’ Elephant have also gotten same number of wins, while the rest ended in
a draw.
The first derby
for the season was held in Umuahia and the Okey Emordi led side could not
overcome their visitors. It was a barren draw.
Some players
spoke to naijaleague.com.ng after the game.
Shedrack Asiegbu:
“This is a
fixture I always look up to every season. It is more than just football.
It is about bragging rights off and on the
pitch and also about entertainment and brotherhood.
“It is an honour
to be involved in such games. I played for 90 minutes and I must say it was a very
difficult game because our opponents came prepared for us.
“We also did our
best and we could not take advantage of a lot of chances, but it is a result we
don’t regret.
“In such games,
there is nothing like home or away. We are all familiar with ourselves and the
objective is to win whether in Aba or Umuahia.
“Unfortunately,
we drew the game, but we believe we can still make up in the reverse fixture.”
Anthony Okemiri:
“As an Abia
Warriors player, playing against Enyimba is always tough. Not because they are
the strongest of oppositions, but the expectations and rivalry is not just on
the pitch.
“It is always a
time to show class and prove a kind of superiority. We could not get the result
we anticipated, but we did our best and fortunately we did not lose.
“I respect
Enyimba a lot, they have a better history compared to Abia Warriors, but the
fans from both sides will want to see their teams win and claim superiority
every time both teams meet.
“I think this is
growing to big come a renowned derby.”
Chinedu Efugh:
“This is my very
first Abia Derby and it is exciting considering that I just joined Abia
Warriors this season.
“The kind of
pressure that comes with this encounter is quite different because the game is
not just limited to the pitch.
“Even off the
pitch, before the game there is already tension and a lot of talk and noise.”
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