Early Years
The club was founded as a state-owned club in November 1976 by Jerry Amadi Enyeazu who was the first Director for Sports in the newly established Imo State, a province in southeast Nigeria. In August 1991 Imo State was divided further and the Abia State was created from the part of Imo which included the city of Aba, Enyimba's hometown, so the new state's government took over as owners of Enyimba.
In the 1970s and 1980s Enyimba struggled to make a notable impact as the traditional powerhouses such as Enugu Rangers, Shooting Stars, Bendel Insurance and local rivals Iwuanyanwu Nationale dominated Nigerian football. Enyimba's rise to fame began in 1990 when the Professional League was inaugurated.
In their first season in the top division Enyimba finished 13th out of 16 clubs, winning just five out of 30 games with a goal difference 25–36. In the following season they won eight games but still finished 15th with 36 points, just one point short from escaping relegation behind Stationery Stores, and were relegated to second level for the 1992 season. Enyimba then stayed in the second level for the next two seasons before winning promotion in 1993, finishing first with 29 wins out of 46 games, winning a record 96 points with a goal difference 64–25, with most goals scored and fewest goals conceded in the 24-team league.
Back in top level, their string of good results continued, and they finished the 1994 season third, behind BCC Lions and Shooting Stars, missing out on a spot in the 1995 CAF Cup on goal difference. After a mediocre 1995 season, they won fourth place in 1996, before a series of inconsistent result saw them narrowly escaping relegation on goal difference in 1997 and finishing seventh in 1998.
Read more about this topic: Enyimba International F.C.
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