There was no overtures or meeting of any sort as two-time African champions, Enyimba, nudged the armband, not in a forceful way though, to one of their best performers in recent seasons, MfonUdoh, with just about one month to the start of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season for 2017.
The striker has told supersport.com that he knows what is expected of wearing the armband of a successful club such as Enyimba and is braced for the responsibility.
Udoh explained that the responsibility of captaincy handed to him comes as a surprise and at the same time “means a lot” to him.
He also took a divine route to psyche up himself for the hurdles he will have to scale as captain of the seven-time Nigerian champions.
“(This new captaincy responsibility) comes as a surprise sort of, as I wasn’t expecting it. But honestly it means a lot because it comes with so much work and responsibilities,” Udoh told supersport.com.
“There is no pressure for me (concerning the captaincy). It is just a new challenge which I know I will surely handle well by God’s special grace.”
WHY ENYIMBA HAVE PICKED THE STRIKER
Supersport.com sources revealed that the decision to hand Udoh the armband following the departure of Chinedu Udoji as well as other high-profile exit from the club was purely that of the management with little or no input from the coaching staff.
Udoh was close to sealing a move to Sudanese club, El Merreikh, before the deal fell through and he returned to Nigeria to be named Enyimba captain, a decision that believed by the hierarchy of the Aba club to be good in stead to put more responsibilities on the shoulders of the former Akwa United man.
It is understood that the captaincy decision was taken as a way to fire up Udoh and at the same time he has considered as one of the oldest playing personnel at the club.
But the striker is not weighing up why he has been picked as captain but said “I will do my best to lead the team in the best way possible and will look to God to help me lead the team to success.”
THE NEW DEPUTIES AT ENYIMBA
However, it will not just be Udoh functioning as the leader of the team as he has centre-back Ifeanyi Anaemena as vice-captain and winger Andrew Abalogu as first vice-captain.
Udoh since joining Enyimba in 2013 has scored 30 league goals for the club, including his historic 23 goals in the 2014 season which remains the highest number of goals scored by any individual in a single NPFL season.
