Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye played a crucial role in Enyimba’s 2-1 victory over Nasarawa United in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match on Wednesday in Aba.
Ideye, who joined the former NPFL champions in December 2024, scored the winning goal for Enyimba in the 61st minute.
It was his second goal in as many games, having opened his account for the club in their 4-1 victory over Mozambique’s Black Bulls in the CAF Confederation Cup last weekend.
Enyimba, who have four games in hand due to their CAF interclub commitments, started the match on the front foot, with Joseph Atule posing a constant threat to the Nasarawa defence.
The visitors, bolstered by the return of top scorer Anas Yusuf after international duty, looked lively on the counterattack.
The deadlock was broken just before half-time when Atule capitalized on space in the Nasarawa box to fire past goalkeeper Galadima, giving Enyimba a 1-0 lead.
The second half mirrored the first, with Enyimba dominating possession while Nasarawa remained dangerous on the break.
Ideye scores first goal of the season in the NPFL
Their persistence paid off in the 57th minute, when Yusuf restored parity with a clinical finish for his 11th goal of the season, further cementing his position as the league’s top scorer.
However, Ideye emerged as the hero, latching onto a cross in the 61st minute and tapping home to secure Enyimba’s first NPFL win in six matches.
The victory lifts Enyimba to seventh place on the NPFL table with 27 points from 17 games, and they still have three games in hand.
