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CAF Confederation Cup

FAIRYTALE CONTINUES FOR DEBUTANTS PYRAMIDS

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Egyptian newcomers Pyramids continued their unprecedented start to their first ever CAF campaign, having their third successive group stage victory, and fifth consecutive away win overall in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup, beating compatriots and hosts Al Masry 2-1 in Alexandria in Group A Match Day 3.

 

Substitute Mohamed “Dodo” Elgabbas scored seven minutes from time against his former boyhood club to give Pyramids victory that sent them on top of the group with nine points from three victories in as many matches.

After a barren cagey first half that saw both sides playing cautiously, Pyramids took the lead nine minutes after the break.

Veteran Abdullah Elsaid sent a long ball to Islam Essa, whose low cross found Ghanaian John Antwi who tapped the ball past Ahmed Massoud in goal for the hosts.

Al Masry made attacking substitutions in search for the equalizer, and had what they looked for after 72 minutes. Mohamed Farouk fouled Ahmed Shousha inside the vital area, and from the spot Burkinabe Saidou Simbore made no mistake to restore parity for the Port Said based side.

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And while it looked like a derby draw for both sides, Dodo Elgabbas who had barely been on the pitch for a minute after replacing Antwi gave his side the lead.

Elgabbasm who started his career in the ranks of Al Masry, made use of a defensive blunder to send a brilliant bicycle kick into Massoud’s net.

Pyramids raised their tally to nine points, three more than Al Masry before both sides lock horns again in the reverse fixture in a fortnight. Mauritania’s Nouadhibou and Nigeria’s Rangers meet later on the night in the other Group A game in Nouakchott.

 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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CAF Confederation Cup

‘Nzogbu Nzogbu’ Enyimba enyi as Enyimba limp into Confederation Cup Group stage!

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It was not easy, but the end justified the means. Enyimba had to go through the lottery of penalty shoot-out to get into the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday in Uyo after playing a barren draw with visiting Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso.

 The first leg also ended goalless leading to penalty shoot-out as tie breaker. Enyimba won 3-2 on penalties.

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CAF Confederation Cup

CAF Confederation Cup: Enyimba target victory after Solid Showing in Bamako

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Enyimba FC head coach Yemi Olarenwaju has set his sights on securing a crucial victory in Sunday’s second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup tie against Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou.

His confidence is built on the  goalless draw in the first leg in Bamako.

“The job is far from over, and we can’t afford to celebrate yet. The return leg in Uyo will be crucial,” Olarenwaju was quoted by the club’s website as saying.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board, work harder, and prepare for the challenge ahead.”

Olarenwaju praised his team’s tactical edge and discipline, which nullified the hosts’ attacking threats. “We had a clear game plan, and the players executed it perfectly. Our tactical discipline prevented Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou from creating any meaningful scoring opportunities.”

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The Enyimba FC boss acknowledged the tough opposition but remains confident in his team’s ability to secure a win at home.

“Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou is a formidable opponent, but we have the quality and determination to get the job done in Uyo.”

As we look forward to the return leg, we urge all Enyimba FC fans to come out in their numbers and support the team at the Uyo Stadium. Let’s make our home advantage count and cheer the People’s Elephant to victory!

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CAF Confederation Cup

Enyimba’s midfielder, Daga confident of Confederation Cup group stage ticket

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Enyimba’s midfielder,  Daniel Daga, has pledged to lead club to victory against Etoile Filante in the return leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second round on Sunday.

The People’s Elephant are looking to build on their impressive performance in the first leg, which ended in a goalless draw in Bamako, Mali. Despite creating several scoring opportunities, Enyimba were unable to find the back of the net.

However, Daga remains optimistic about their chances in the return leg having missed the first leg of the encounter due to a slight knock

“Our resolve is to win and advance to the group stages,” he stated confidently. “We understand that they are a difficult opponent, but we have just one task, which is to win, and that is exactly what we are going to do.”

A win for Enyimba FC would guarantee their spot in the group stages, a feat that would make them the only Nigerian team in the competition’s group phase.

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“We know the importance of this match, and we’re ready to give it our all,” Daga added. “We want to make Nigeria proud and show that we’re a force to be reckoned with in African football.”

Head coach, Yemi Olarenwaju, has been fine-tuning his tactics, and the team is eager to execute their game plan.

“The first leg result gives us an advantage, but we won’t take anything for granted,” Olarenwaju said. “We’ll push for victory and secure our spot in the group stages.”

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