Enyimba could match a 27-year-old unwanted club record when they host Sporting Lagos in the 2025/26 EUROMATCH-NPFL Nigeria Premier Football League on Wednesday.
The Aba club have lost each of their first three league matches this season and remain the only team in the division yet to collect a point. Those defeats, against Niger Tornadoes, Doma United and newly promoted Inter Lagos, have left the league giants at the foot of the table.
A fourth successive match without a victory would see Enyimba equal their worst start since 1999, when they also failed to win any of their opening four games of a season.
The fixture against Sporting Lagos will be played at the Enyimba International Stadium, with the hosts seeking to prevent the unwanted record and finally begin their campaign.
Enyimba’s difficult start has revived memories of the 1999 season, which remains one of the poorest openings in the club’s history. The Aba side later underwent a significant transformation, becoming a dominant force in Nigerian football.
They won their first league title in 2001 before claiming back-to-back CAF Champions League crowns in 2003 and 2004.
The latest run of defeats has also increased pressure around the club, prompting Chairman Nwankwo Kanu to appeal publicly for supporters to remain behind the team.
“Hard times are not forever, they come and go. We understand the weight of the disappointing losses and we are determined to make things right,” Kanu said in a statement on Tuesday.
Enyimba will now hope their home meeting with Sporting Lagos can halt the losing sequence and spare them an unwanted place in the club’s history.