Enyimba Football Club head coach Emmanuel Deutsch endured a frustrating first home outing as the Aba giants were held to a 1–1 draw by struggling Kun Khalifat FC in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) fixture on Sunday.
Deutsch, who took over from Deji Ayeni less than two weeks ago, watched his side dominate possession and create numerous chances, only to be punished when Kun Khalifat took the lead against the run of play.
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Striker James Ekebuike struck in the 38th minute with a fine solo effort to stun the home crowd.
Enyimba, determined not to suffer a fourth home defeat of the season, pushed relentlessly for an equaliser and were rewarded late on.
Veteran forward Ekene Awazie reacted quickest to a rebound from Chinedu Ufere’s effort to fire home in the 86th minute and rescue a point for the People’s Elephant.
Speaking after the match, Deutsch described the result as “very painful,” lamenting his team’s profligacy in front of goal and accusing the visitors of deliberate time-wasting.
“It’s very painful — we missed so many opportunities to score goals,” Deutsch said. “We missed so many goals in the first half. When you miss that many chances and the opponent gets just one and converts it, coming back becomes very difficult.”
The Cameroonian tactician was particularly critical of Kun Khalifat goalkeeper Nsikak Akpan, alleging excessive stoppages that disrupted Enyimba’s momentum.
“We played more than 60 minutes in the second half because their goalkeeper spent more than 21 minutes on the floor, wasting time,” Deutsch claimed. “He was not cautioned, but I will not judge anybody.”
Despite the setback, Deutsch remained optimistic about Enyimba’s prospects away from home, insisting the lost points could be recovered on the road.
“I know I’ve lost two points from this match, but I can still collect it away,” he added. “I’m optimistic that we will pick points away — maybe even win away. If we did it against Rivers United, we can do it elsewhere.”
Deutsch also praised his team’s approach, while criticising the physical tactics of the visitors.
“The good thing is that we played good positional football,” he said. “The opponents didn’t allow the game to flow with rough tackles and time-wasting antics. We had only one yellow card, while they had nearly 10. That’s not football. We played to win, not to waste time.”
The draw leaves Enyimba still searching for consistency as they continue their push up the NPFL table under new leadership.
