Enyimba head coach Emmanuel Deutsch has insisted that his club will not be relegated from the Nigeria Premier Football League this season, even after a 2-0 defeat to Kano Pillars on Matchday 31 of the 2025/2026 NPFL campaign.
The Cameroonian tactician, who has managed several top-flight clubs in Nigeria, was speaking in Kano after watching his side fall apart at the Pillars' home ground. Chiedozie Okorie got the Sai Masu Gida off to a flying start, putting the ball in the net just 11 minutes in. Ahmed Musa, the former Super Eagles captain, added a second right on the stroke of half-time to put the match beyond Enyimba's reach. Pillars held that advantage comfortably through the second half.
The result was significant for both clubs at opposite ends of the table. Kano Pillars climbed to 13th place with 39 points, pulling themselves out of the relegation zone. Enyimba, nine-time Nigerian champions and two-time CAF Champions League winners in 2003 and 2004, dropped to 16th with 36 points.
Despite the loss, Deutsch refused to entertain thoughts of relegation. "It was a difficult match. We played against a spirited Kano Pillars side. Going into the game, both teams were in the danger zone and the home team had a reason to win," he said. "Both of us were at the bottom, they were at home and they took that advantage. Enyimba will maintain their position in the Premier League. I'm very optimistic about that. Enyimba will survive at the end of the season."
For Kano Pillars supporters, those words from the opposing coach say plenty about the mood at Enyimba right now. The win against the People's Elephant was Pillars' second consecutive home victory — they had also beaten Barau FC 1-0 in Matchday 29 — and it has brought some breathing room in the standings.
Enyimba's next assignment is a Matchday 32 home fixture against state rivals Abia Warriors in what promises to be a tense Oriental Derby in Aba. Deutsch said his team will return home and prepare properly for that encounter. As for Kano Pillars, their attention turns to an away trip to face Bayelsa United FC on Matchday 32, scheduled for March 29.