Nigerian football icon Kanu Nwankwo has assumed the role of chairman at Enyimba football club, the reigning champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). This appointment reunites Kanu with his former Ajax teammate George Finidi, who serves as the Head Coach of the Abia State-based club.
Under the guidance of Coach Finidi, Enyimba, owned by the Abia State Government, clinched an impressive ninth league title last season and secured a spot in the upcoming CAF Champions League. The announcement of Kanu’s appointment was made by the newly elected Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, located in the southeastern region of Nigeria.
Kanu Nwankwo takes the helm from Felix Anyansi-Agwu, who successfully led the team known as the People’s Elephant for 24 years, overseeing their triumph in two CAF Champions League campaigns.
Both Kanu and Finidi, revered as Super Eagles legends, were pivotal members of Louis van Gaal’s Ajax squad that achieved UEFA Champions League glory in 1995 with a memorable 1-0 victory over Serie A giants AC Milan at Vienna’s Ernst-Happel Stadium in Austria.
Following their triumph in the Super 6 tournament in June 2023, Finidi expressed his desire to attract more former internationals into coaching roles within the league.
With Kanu now assuming an administrative role within Enyimba, the team is poised to embark on their CAF Champions League campaign in August 2023, benefitting from the combination of Finidi’s coaching prowess and Kanu’s vast experience.
Enyimba FC fans and football enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the positive impact that both these former Super Eagles players will bring to the club, fostering the growth of Nigerian football as a whole.
In another development, Nigeria’s John Sam Obuh, who has recently been involved with the Roma Academy in Abuja, has been appointed as the chairman of Abia Warriors, another NPFL team.
