Euromatch NPFL: Ejeh Quits As Enyimba Assistant Coach

Enyimba of Aba assistant coach, Kelvin Okechukwu Ejeh, has resigned from his position as deputy to the club’s technical adviser, Emmanuel Deutsch Gustavo.

Ejeh submitted his resignation to the hierarchy of the People’s Elephant following what could best be described as irreconcilable differences with the Cameroon-born head coach.

Speaking with Completesports.com on Saturday morning, Ejeh explained his decision to abruptly end his coaching stint with the nine-time Nigerian champions.

“Enyimba is a club after my heart. It’s a club so dear to me, but you see, I don’t function effectively well under a toxic environment,” Ejeh said.

“When your boss begins to listen to gossip without recourse to hearing from you, then it becomes clear that trust is gone and the working relationship has been severed. So, I had to leave.”

Affectionately known as “Mourinho,” Ejeh joined the Nigerian Army in 1999 and served in Maiduguri before leaving the military in 2006.

“I left the Nigerian Army in 2006 under similar circumstances. I requested certain things which weren’t forthcoming, and I told them I was leaving. And I left,” he recalled.

Ejeh later joined Abia Comets as head coach, spending 12 years in the dugout with the second-tier club before moving to Enyimba alongside Gustavo during the 2025/26 season following the departure of Stanley Eguma.

“I was at Abia Comets for 12 years before I came to Enyimba. You know Enyimba is a club close to my heart, but now, life goes on,” he said.

Reflecting on his time at Enyimba, Ejeh described the experience as invaluable and difficult to quantify, while expressing gratitude for the warm reception he received from the club and its supporters.

“Honestly, the Enyimba people are great. I appreciate the reception given to me from last season when I joined the team until now. I have very fond memories of my time there,” Ejeh stated.

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“The experience has been pleasantly enormous, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Enyimba family.”

Despite his differences with Gustavo, Ejeh spoke highly of the Cameroonian coach, describing him as a senior brother and mentor from whom he learned a great deal.

“I appreciate my boss, Emmanuel Deutsch. He is like a senior brother to me, and I have learned a lot from him,” he added.

Ejeh also commended Enyimba chairman and former Super Eagles captain, Kanu Nwankwo, for his leadership of the club.

“I must wholeheartedly appreciate our great chairman, Kanu Nwankwo, for his leadership quality,” tactician declared.

The former Abia Comets coach also acknowledged the passion of Enyimba supporters, saying their desire for success would be one of the things he would miss most following his departure.

“I will miss the Enyimba fans, who always want the best from everybody in the team. I love them all,” he stated.

On his next career move, the former soldier-turned-coach said he was keeping his options open, revealing that his manager was already exploring opportunities on his behalf.

“The game is dynamic, and everything changes with time. Sincerely, my manager is working on various options, and if anything crops up, he will let me know.

“But for now, I return home to my family, whom I have missed a lot,” Ejeh explained.

Away from football, Ejeh is currently an undergraduate of Abia State Polytechnic, where he is studying Sports Management.

“While I catch some rest and have a bit of time with my family as I await the next move, I still pay attention to my studies because I’m undergoing a course at Abia Polytechnic in the Department of Sports Management,” Ejeh concluded.