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Enyimba youngster, Chidera Michael, has reflected on his first season in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), where he emerged as the People’s Elephant’s highest goalscorer and concluded that he was grateful to God and pleased with his achievement, Completesports.com reports.
Chidera joined the two-time African champions from Ozalla Football Academy, Onitsha, prior to the start of the 2025/2026 NPFL season.
The 20-year-old went on to score 12 goals for the nine-time NPFL champions across all competitions, with 11 goals coming in the league and one in the Federation Cup.
Chidera Delighted With Productive First NPFL Campaign
“I’m happy that we didn’t drop out of the league. I’m also happy that, despite it being an injury-hit season, things worked out well,” Chidera, who is also nicknamed ‘Moratta’ by admirers, began during an exclusive chat with Completesports.com.
“I think it’s more about club glory than personal glory. But the truth remains that I’m happy it was a successful season. Enyimba did well to keep their NPFL status intact.
“For me, it was a good season because, although it was my first season in the NPFL, I was able to score 11 goals in the league and one in the Federation Cup competition.”
Chidera Reveals How He Adapted From Academy Football
Chidera admitted that the season was not easy, considering he had stepped into the elite league directly from an academy setup.
“I didn’t allow that to affect me. I embraced the challenge and ensured that I did my best every time I was given the opportunity to play.
“Yes, this is the off-season. I don’t know what happens next, but I believe whatever I achieved last season is only a motivation for me going into the 2026/2027 season.”
Gratitude To Enyimba Coaches And Teammates
“I can only remain grateful to the coaches and management staff of Enyimba for having faith in my ability and also providing a platform for young players like me to express themselves.
“My teammates also share in whatever success I achieved because they showed love, support and encouragement, which helped me, as a young player, to excel,” Michael added.
The Enyimba forward used the occasion to present his Enyimba jersey to his mentor, Ikenna Osueke, owner and sponsor of Ozalla Football Academy.
4 Comments
Enyimba youngster? 20 years old? Chelle needs to shine his eyes when picking league players for the under 23 team.
Npfl will stain his white again after that chan disaster.
Chelle, better have rapport with club sides abroad to free up players not readily available for them during the Olympics qualification.
Npfl over age players will embarrass you if that’s the intention of NSC and NFF double edged sword of a new contract.
Apparently, they want you to pick npfl players by force and you know they are not technically savvy for your dynamic play and are deceitful with their age.
I wish you well on this seeming poisoned chalice of a bait called contract but you fit do am.
What a way to give Nigeria football a distinct philosophy from the “lintel” up rather than the ground up
@Sly, Chelle must try to verify the age of players he selects for the Olympics. If not, he will fry in failure.
Really…..? 20-year-old…??
Mr Editor must have uploaded a wrong photo.
This man I see here isn’t in any way less than 33 years of age.
This is the problem with this sham we call a league. You’ll watch them play on the continent and wonder why they can barely run. You’ll rhetorically ask if it’s the club that has no fitness coach(es) or if the players are just plain allergic to running.
I was so shocked last season seeing videos of a quarter-to-retiring Ahmed Musa still sprinting past defenders in the NPFL as if they weren’t there. The same Musa who can barely play international football anymore.
This is where the likes of Ogunmodede and Ikechukwu would have been best for the U23 job. They sure have better knowledge of the league and the talents in it, and would be the best fit to apply first-hand information in moulding a team out of them.
They did it with the CHAN team before you-know-who came along and messed the team up with the laziest and most biased team selection I’ve ever witnessed of any Nigerian national team (as many as 9 players from 1 club), coupled with the crap football they went on to play at the CHAN tournament itself
The idea of begging European clubs to release their players outside FIFA windows has never worked. We will only end up with bench warmers and B-team players. No serious club with serious assignments ahead will release one of their serious players for international matches outside the FIFA window. Ask Eguavoen in 2012, ask Amakpakabo in 2020, ask Salisu in 2024.
A wise cripple never dies in a foretold war.
If the last 2 winners of the NPFL cannot give us a successful U23 squad from the league after 1 year of preparations, we can as well just suspend top-flight football in Nigeria
Thumbs up Doctor Dare. You said it all.