Federation of International Football Associations, FIFA, has sent a letter to Enyimba, congratulating the People’s Elephant on their 2019 Nigeria Professional Football League title success, Completesports.com reports.
Enyimba emerged over all winners of the 2019 NPFL abridged league at the Championship play-offs in Lagos just before the start of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The win takes Enyimba’s domestic league title haul to eight, the highest by any Nigerian club.
And FIFA boss, Giovanni Infantino, in a congratulatory message he personally signed, dated July 16 and addressed to NFF President, Amaju Melvin-Pinnick, commended the club for the feat, noting such success came through hard work and effort.
“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate them for their first championship title since 2015, and eight (8) over all, a record,” the FIFA congratulatory letter reads in part.
“This is, no doubt, the result of effort and hard work and everybody involved can be proud of this great achievement. I shall be grateful if you could extend my congratulations to the players, the coach, the administration, the entire technical staff as well as the fans.
“I encourage them to continue working with determination and motivation.
“On behalf of the international football body, I take this opportunity to thank Enyimba FC and your federation for helping spread the positive message of football and foster the practice of this beautiful game that unites us all,” the FIFA boss concludes.
The 2018/2019 NPFL title win is 28th trophy won by Enyimba in all competitions since 2000 when the current hierarchy led by Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu mounted the saddle of leadership of the club.
The club’s string of successes came to the height in 2003 when it became the first Nigeria club to win the CAF Champions League. Their title winning coach that year, Kadiri Ikhana, was named CAF Coach of the Year 2003.
In 2004 under coach Okey Emordi, Enyimba retained the Africa’s premier inter club title with the gaffer equally voted as CAF Coach of that year.
The club’s result oriented campaign has been driven by continuity as it has remained under the same management team headed by Anyansi since then.
Anyansi is currently a member of the executive committee of Nigeria Football Federation where he had served as chairman of its Technical Committee.
By Sab Osuji
