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CAF Confederation Cup

Rivers United Edge USM Alger In Confederation Cup First-leg –

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Rivers United Edge USM Alger In Confederation Cup First-leg -

Rivers United secured a crucial 1-0 victory over USM Alger of Algeria in the first leg of their  CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final clash in Nigeria on Sunday.

Augustine Okejepha emerged as the hero for the home side, breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute with a clinical strike from the edge of the box at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

Abubakar Adamu’s well-executed assist from a corner kick set the stage for Okejepha’s decisive goal, putting the home side in the lead early in the match.

Despite USM Alger’s efforts to contain Rivers United, the Nigerian team’s physical dominance proved to be a significant factor throughout the game.

USM Alger struggled to match the intensity of their opponents who looked eager to score more goals.

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However, the arrival of rain after 70 minutes provided a brief respite for the Algerian side, allowing them to regroup and minimize the damage to a single-goal deficit by the final whistle.

Looking ahead to the second leg in Algiers on April 7, USM Alger face an uphill battle as they seek to overturn the deficit and secure passage to the semi-finals.

With home advantage on their side, USM Alger will be determined to mount a strong comeback and keep their hopes alive in the competition but judging by the performance of Rivers United, they will also put up a strong challenge in Algiers next week.

The stakes are high for USM Alger, with qualification to the next round offering an opportunity to continue their title defence and pursue continental glory.

In the event of qualification, the overall winner of this tie will face the winner of the double confrontation between Abu Salim and RS Berkane in the semi-final.

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-CAF

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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