Enyimba vs Plateau United: Why the People’s Elephant Must Be Wary After 4-2 Win Over Shooting Stars
Enyimba finally found their scoring boots against Shooting Stars, but their reward for that attacking explosion is a Plateau United side that has refused to lose since Matchday 1.
The two teams now meet on Sunday, with the Big Elephant hoping Wednesday’s 4-2 victory can become the start of a genuine turnaround.
Enyimba vs Plateau United: Why the Big Elephant should be worried
For the first five matches of the 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League season, scoring goals had become a serious problem for Enyimba.
The nine-time champions had managed only three goals during that period, failing to score in two of their opening five games.
Then came Wednesday night.
The People’s Elephants scored four times against Shooting Stars before the 50th minute, with Richard Ezinna, Chibueze Damian, Odinaka Obichere and Ifeanyi Ihemekwele getting on the scoresheet as the Aba giants recorded their first league win of the campaign.
Suddenly, the conversation around Enyimba’s attack has changed.
They scored four against 3SC — more than their entire haul from the previous five matches combined — and now have seven goals from six league games.
But here is where Sunday becomes particularly interesting. Assistant coach Ejeh Okechukwu has already identified what needs to happen next.
After watching his side concede twice against Shooting Stars, he admitted that defensive lapses remain a concern and said those mistakes would be corrected against Plateau United.
That means the visitors should expect an Enyimba side looking to do more than simply reproduce the attacking display from Wednesday.
The Big Elephant will want the goals to continue while also shutting the door at the back and that could be a warning sign for the Peace Boys.
Plateau United have their own reason for confidence against Enyimba
If you are looking at the game from Plateau United’s perspective, though, there is plenty to like about the team’s recent form.
The Jos side lost 2-0 to Rivers United on the opening day, but they have not tasted defeat since.
Since that setback, the Peace Boys have beaten Kwara United 1-0, drawn 1-1 away to Niger Tornadoes, defeated Shooting Stars 3-1, fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Doma United and then defeated Inter Lagos 2-0.
That is three wins and two draws from their last five matches. More importantly for Sunday’s trip to Aba, the boys from Jos have shown they can find the net on the road.
They scored in both of their most recent away matches — the 1-1 draw against Niger Tornadoes and the 2-2 comeback against Doma United — producing three goals across those two games.
Only the Pride of Rivers have managed to keep the Peace Boys scoreless this season. So the question facing Enyimba is obvious: can the People’s Elephant do what Finidi George side did and keep Plateau United quiet?
That is where Okechukwu’s promise to correct Enyimba’s defensive lapses becomes even more important.
Because while the 4-2 win over Shooting Stars showed that the attack may finally be waking up, Plateau United will arrive in Aba with evidence that they can punish defensive mistakes.
The visitors have also already shown they can recover from difficult situations. Against Doma United, they went two goals down before fighting back to earn a point in Gombe.
For Enyimba, therefore, Sunday’s game is not simply about celebrating the four goals against Ibadan Warriors. It is about proving that the performance was not a one-off.
The challenge is now clear: score with the confidence they showed against Shooting Stars, defend with the discipline Okechukwu has demanded and stop a Plateau United side that has been unbeaten for five straight matches.
If the People’s Elephants can put those pieces together, the mood around Aba could change very quickly.
But if the same defensive lapses return, the Peace Boys have already shown enough away from home to make them pay.
Enyimba have found their goals. Now they must show they can keep their gate locked.
