Competition: Nigeria Premier Football League, Matchday 7
Date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
Kick-off: 4:00 p.m. WAT
Venue: Enyimba Stadium, Aba
Plateau United have gone five league matches without defeat. The next question is more demanding: can they turn that unbeaten run into their first away win of the season?
That is the real story of Enyimba vs Plateau United.
The Peace Boys have shown resilience, improved attacking output and signs of greater control in recent matches. What they have not yet shown is that those improvements can travel beyond Jos in the form of three points.
Enyimba offer a serious test because their league position does not tell the whole story. The People’s Elephant are 19th with four points from six matches, but they come into Sunday’s game after beating Shooting Stars 4-2 at home for their first league victory of the season.
For Plateau, this is less about extending an unbeaten run for the sake of the number and more about showing that their development can survive a difficult afternoon in Aba.
Plateau United Have Built Momentum
Plateau’s record after six matches stands at three wins, two draws and one defeat. They have scored nine goals, conceded six and collected 11 points.
The current official NPFL table places them fourth, behind Rangers International, Rivers United and Barau. Nigeria Premier Football League
More importantly, Plateau have not lost since their opening-day 2-0 defeat away to Rivers United.
There was the 1-0 home victory over Kwara United before a 1-1 draw away to Niger Tornadoes.
Then came the more dramatic performances.
Against Shooting Stars in Jos, Plateau recovered from going behind to win 3-1. At Doma United, they found themselves 2-0 down before Gideon Monday and Paul Samson rescued a 2-2 draw. The official NPFL report confirms Monday and Samson as Plateau’s scorers in that comeback. Nigeria Premier Football League
Then came the 2-0 victory over Inter Lagos.
Gideon Monday opened the scoring in the 56th minute before Jibril Ibrahim added the second in the 76th. Plateau did not need another comeback, although the performance was not flawless — Ogunbote was concerned about chances his team failed to take earlier in the game.
That distinction matters.
Plateau are improving, but there are still parts of their performances that need work. That makes Sunday’s trip to Aba more interesting than simply looking at their five-match unbeaten run.
The Away Question Still Remains
Plateau’s away form has been stable but not yet convincing.
They lost 2-0 at Rivers United, drew 1-1 at Niger Tornadoes and recovered to draw 2-2 at Doma United.
That’s three away matches: one defeat, two draws and no victories.
There is a difference between becoming difficult to beat away from home and learning how to win there.
The first suggests a team can survive difficult periods. The second requires enough control and attacking quality to turn those periods into three points.
The Doma comeback was valuable because Plateau refused to collapse after going two goals down. But Ogunbote still described the result as two points dropped, highlighting the careless manner in which his team conceded.
Against Enyimba, the next step would be avoiding the need for another rescue mission altogether.
Plateau have won all three of their league matches in Jos this season. If the progress we have seen recently is going to develop into something more significant, eventually some of those performances must start producing victories away from home too.
Enyimba Are Dangerous Despite Their Start
Enyimba’s numbers make uncomfortable reading for a club of their stature.
After six matches, the People’s Elephant have one win, one draw and four defeats, with seven goals scored and 10 conceded.
But their most recent result offers a warning to Plateau.
Enyimba beat Shooting Stars 4-2 on September 30, finally recording their first league victory of the season. They had been 4-0 ahead before Shooting Stars scored twice, meaning the performance showed both their attacking potential and the defensive vulnerability that has followed them through the opening weeks.
There has also been a boost ahead of Sunday.
Defender Joel Ezra and goalkeeper Utum Godswill have returned to training and are available for selection. Ezra had been absent through illness, while Godswill had been sidelined by injury for around three weeks. Complete Sports
That gives Enyimba coach Emmanuel Deutsch additional options as his team attempts to build on its first victory.
Plateau therefore cannot approach the game as though they are visiting a side simply because that side sits 19th.
At the same time, Enyimba’s first win does not suddenly erase their problems. They have already suffered home defeats this season, and conceding twice after establishing a four-goal lead against Shooting Stars shows there may still be opportunities for Plateau if the game opens up.
What Plateau United Need to Get Right
The first requirement is simple: avoid another slow start.
Plateau have already demonstrated that they can recover from difficult situations, but constantly relying on comebacks is not a sustainable way to build an away record.
Their attacking players should not repeatedly be asked to repair damage created earlier in matches.
Defensive concentration therefore becomes important.
The Doma game showed both sides of Plateau’s development. Going 2-0 down exposed the problems; recovering to 2-2 showed the character Ogunbote has been building.
Aba demands more balance.
Plateau also need to make better use of their opportunities. Their 2-0 win over Inter Lagos looks comfortable on the scoreboard, but Ogunbote’s concern about missed chances tells a more complete story.
Against Enyimba, those opportunities may be less frequent.
Monday has already played an important role in Plateau’s recent attacking improvement, while Paul Samson contributed to the Doma comeback and Jibril Ibrahim scored against Inter Lagos.
The challenge now is turning those individual contributions into an effective away performance from the entire team.
Recent Meetings Add Another Test
There is also recent history between the clubs.
Plateau United beat Enyimba 2-1 in Jos in October 2025, before Enyimba won the reverse fixture 2-0 in Aba in March 2026. Enyimba’s official fixture archive confirms that March result. EnyimbaFC.net – The Official Website
That doesn’t tell us what will happen on Sunday, but the most recent meeting in Aba provides another useful reference point for the Peace Boys.
This time, they arrive with five matches unbeaten and an opportunity to show how much has changed.
What Enyimba vs Plateau United Could Tell Us
A Plateau United victory would provide the clearest evidence yet that their improvement is beginning to travel beyond Jos.
It would not suddenly make them title favourites, nor would it prove that all of their early-season problems have disappeared.
It would simply answer one of the most interesting questions surrounding their start: can Plateau turn competitive away performances into victories?
A draw or defeat would not erase what has happened over the previous five matches either. One result in Aba should not become a verdict on an entire season.
But another match without an away victory would leave the question unanswered.
Plateau have already shown they can come back.
They have shown they can win comfortably at home.
They have shown they can put together an unbeaten run.
Now they need to show they can take three points on the road.