CAF Confederation Cup
CONTINENTAL DEBUTANTS, PYRAMIDS PLAN TO UPSET RANGERS AT HOME
After a dream start to their maiden continental campaign with the highlight being a place at the lucrative group stage, Egyptian debutants Pyramids will kick off their group stage campaign away to Nigeria’s Rangers in Enugu.
Last year’s revamp saw Pyramids, founded in 2008 under the name “Al Assiouty Sports” metamorphosing from Egyptian Premier League minnows to big spenders.
Their first season under the new name “Pyramids FC” ended in a third place finish in the Egyptian top flight, that earned them a place in this season’s Total CAF Confederation Cup.
With the help of experienced players, led by former Al Ahly playmaker Abdullah Elsaid, Ghanaian hitman John Antwi and Burkinabe Eric Traore, Pyramids entered their first ever continental adventure by recruiting ex- Uganda coach Sebastien Desabre to guide them banking on his knowledge of the African game.
Having spent nearly a decade in African football where he guided the likes of ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), Coton Sport (Cameroon), Esperance (Tunisia), Recreativo do Libolo (Angola), JS Saoura (Algeria), Wydad (Morocco), Ismaily (Egypt), besides the national teams of Mauritania and Uganda, Desabre joined Pyramids a few days after he guided The Cranes to a Round of 16 berth at the last Africa Cup of Nations; the first in over four decades for the Ugandans.
The Frenchman has guided the debutants to overcome the hurdles at Congo’s Etoile du Congo, Algeria’s CR Belouizdad and Tanzanian giants Young Africans to reach the mini league stage, with an impressive record of five wins and a draw in six matches, including three away victories.
And they are inspired by their impressive away record as they visit the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu this Sunday, as Group A of the mini league stage kicks off, with fellow Egyptian outfit Al Masry and fellow debutants Nouadhibou of Mauritania completing the group.
Rangers enjoyed a preliminary round bye, before defeating Gabon’s AS Pelican and Togo’s ASC Kara on their way to the mini league stage, where they are looking to do better than last season when they failed to pass to the quarterfinals.
Having won their previous two home games, Rangers will hope this form carries on to start the group stage on a positive note after appointing former Nigeria coach Salisu Yusuf days ahead of the clash.
Yusuf, who guided Nigeria to a runner-up spot at the Total African Nations Championship in Morocco in 2018 replaces Benedict Ugwu, who was shown the exit after a 2-0 loss to newly promoted Akwa Starlets in the Nigerian top flight at the weekend.
Nouadhibou battles Masry in the other Group A match in Nouakchott, also on Sunday.
Fixtures
Group A
Sunday
- Nouakchott Nouadhibou (Mauritania) vs Al Masry (Egypt)
- Enugu Rangers (Nigeria) vs Pyramids (Egypt)
Group B
Sunday
- Johannesburg Bidvest (South Africa) vs Horoya (Guinea)
- Cairo El Nasr (Libya) vs Djoliba (Mali)
Group C
Sunday
- Berkane RS Berkane (Morocco) vs ESAE (Benin)
- Kinshasa Motema Pembe (DR Congo) vs Zanaco (Zambia)
Group D
Sunday
- Abidjan San Pedro (Cote d’Ivoire) vs Paradou (Algeria)
- Agadir HUSA (Morocco) vs Enyimba (Nigeria)
CAF Confederation Cup
‘Nzogbu Nzogbu’ Enyimba enyi as Enyimba limp into Confederation Cup Group stage!
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.
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.”
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!
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.
“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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