CAF Confederation Cup
HOW FOUR-STAR PYRAMIDS FELL ENYIMBA IN CAIRO
Ibrahim Adel stepped off the bench to score a second half brace as Pyramids FC came from a goal down to beat Nigeria’s Enyimba 4-1 in the first leg of the Total CAF Confederation Cup quarter final in Cairo on Sunday.
Victor Mbaoma had given the visitors a first minute lead, but Pyramids, finalists in last season’s edition, bounced back with Ramadhan Sobhi and skipper Abdallah Said scoring before Adel’s brace sealed the vital first leg victory.
Mbaoma broke the deadlock very early on, taking advantage of a goalkeeping mess from Sheriff Ekramy. The shot stopper attempted to play some fancy footwork to evade Mbaoma, but the forward pinched the ball from under his feet and scored.
Pyramids however went back on level terms before halftime, and it was thanks to another blunder at the back, this time Enyimba defender Nelson Ogbonnaya with the mistake. Sobhi pounced in as the defender attempted to make a turn at the edge of the box before gliding past the keeper and tapping into an empty net.
In the second half, Pyramids stepped up and just four minutes in they had taken the lead when skipper Said planted the ball into the bottom left off a Sobhi lay off.
The home side should have been 3-1 up five minutes later, but Eric Traore saw his point blank effort saved by the keeper after connecting to a Mohamed Sharaf cross from the left.
But, they were stretching away in the 58th minute and did so in style with Adel’s brilliant goal. The substitute scored with a well taken overhead kick when he adjusted his body superbly to connect to an Ahmed Fathy cross from the right.
They sealed their victory in the 66th minute when Adel completed his brace after Sobhi played him through when the Enyimba defense struggled to clear a cross ball.
From then on, it was easy go for the Egyptians as they kept the possession, Enyimba struggling to gain the ball and make any meaningful foray of attack.
Zamalek commenced their CAF Confederation Cup journey with a 1-0 win over Kenya’s Police in the initial leg of the second preliminary round held in Nairobi this Saturday.
Veteran winger Abdallah El-Saied secured the win for the Whites with a precise strike from outside the box just a minute before halftime.
The Cairo giants, winners of the 2023-2024 CAF Confederation Cup title, started the match with relentless pressure on the hosts to clinch victory in the first leg and alleviate pressure before the upcoming return fixture in Cairo next Friday.
“The most important thing for us was to win and achieve our target,” Zamalek coach Gomes said after the game.
Hosts Police FC of Kenya could not breach Zamalek’s resolute defense in search of an equalizer.
Despite notable summer acquisitions, Zamalek’s coach Jose Gomes opted for a standard lineup, integrating young talents in lieu of seasoned players.
“We are now stronger than the previous season, thanks to spending more time with the team and preparing to play in the tournaments that we will participate in,” the Portuguese coach added.
Conversely, Kenya’s Police FC squandered a clear scoring opportunity against Zamalek, missing a crucial chance fifteen minutes before the final whistle, dashing hopes of leveling the score.
Kenya’s Police FC earned their place in this round following a hard-fought 1-0 aggregate victory over Ethiopia Coffee SC.
-Ahram
Nigeria’s Enyimba played a thrilling 0-0 draw with Burkina Faso’s Etoile Filante in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second round tie in Bamako on Friday.
There have been three previous confrontation with Burkina Faso teams and this Friday encounter was the second time that Enyimba had had to face Etoile Filante.
According to facts supplied by Opta Nigeria, Etoile Filante were Enyimba’s first ever opponent on the continent 22 years ago in March 2002. Ever since, Enyimba have played 157 times on the continent; the highest by any Nigerian club.
Enyimba carry their advantage to the return leg to be played on 22 September.
Nigeria’s sole survivors in the CAF Confederation Cup,Enyimba will face Burkina Faso sides, Etoile de Filante in the second round of the competition.
Enyimba drew bye in the preliminary round while the Burkina Faso team reached the second round after eliminating Hafia of Guinea.
Enyimba, second runners-up in the Nigerian League will be attempting to win the Confederation Cup for the first time for Nigeria as they did in the Champions League 21 years ago.
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