Enyimba Coach Ejeh Blames Missed Chances for Inter Lagos Defeat

Enyimba's miserable start to the new NPFL season shows no signs of easing after a home defeat to Inter Lagos left the club without a single point from three games, a first in the club's history.

Assistant coach Okechukwu Ejeh fronted the media after the match, standing in for head coach Emmanuel Deutsch, who chose not to speak to reporters. Ejeh didn't shy away from how bad the mood was in camp, calling it a difficult day for everyone connected to the club.

"Everybody is sad, honestly, it's a sad day for everybody in the Enyimba family," he said.

The result itself was decided by a single Moses Ezekiel header in the 19th minute, and despite dominating the chances column, Enyimba simply couldn't find a way past the Inter Lagos goal. According to Ejeh, his side created more than ten opportunities on the day but converted none of them, while their opponents needed just the one.

"We didn't win. I think we didn't really do badly in the game, like you all saw. Inter Lagos got their chance, I think, their only one chance in the game, and they converted it," he said. "But we got more than ten chances in this game but we couldn't convert any of them. That's the game. When you fail to take your chances in a game, you end up getting punished. We really paid dearly for our wastefulness today."

Pressed on whether the missed chances were the real difference in the match, Ejeh agreed, though he also pointed to conditions on the day as a contributing factor.

"That's the major problem today. Our inability to convert chances. But I think the weather condition also affected our game plan. We're a ball-possession team. We always try to hold the ball and build up from the back, but because of the condition of the pitch, we tried to change that plan and resorted to flighting the ball, using long balls, which affected some of the players," he explained. "But we really did well with that pattern, just that we weren't good at getting the second balls. And I think it's a learning curve for the team. We'll go back to work and see how we can fix that."

The defeat leaves Enyimba bottom of the table with zero points after three matches, having lost to Niger Tornadoes, Doma United and now Inter Lagos. They do have a game in hand on 3SC, and their next chance to turn things around comes quickly, with Sporting Lagos due in Aba for a midweek fixture.

Ejeh sounded confident that his side can bounce back.

"I think we'll come back better on Wednesday against Sporting Lagos, believe you me. We'll come back stronger. I'll tell the boys to be calm," he said. "This team is good. I believe in this team. There is no pressure yet because the league is still young. It's a marathon, and it is just starting. We've just played three games. We'll do well against Sporting Lagos."

He also called on supporters to turn out in numbers for the upcoming clash.

"I think that will be a turning point in our season. Let the fans come out and give us their usual support, and we'll make them happy. I'm positive that we'll walk away after the game with the maximum three points. That's my message to the fans."