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CAF Confederation Cup

DESPERATE ENYIMBA NOW HOST ORLANDO PIRATE IN ABA

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Enyimba players have Herculean task on Wednesday as they face a zero option in their final Group A tie with Orlando Pirates of South Africa.

Anything short of an outright win will condemn the two-time African champions to elimination from the continent’s second-tier competition after their earlier slide from the premier championship, the Champions League.

Even a win against Orlando Pirates on Wednesday may not translate to qualification for the quarter finals.

Enyimba will still be hoping that last placed ES Setif of Algeria make maximum use of their home advantage to neutralise second-placed Ahli Benghazi of Libya in an encounter in which regional solidarity may play a key role.

Should Ahly Benghazi beat Setif in the away duel, it will be adios for Enyimba in the competition.

Little wonder then that Enyimba had to seek authorisation to host the Pirates in their Aba fortress after it was understood that the Nigerian government may not wish to host South Africans on Nigerian home soil owing to the special variant of Covid-19 prevalent in South Africa.

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It was for that reason that Rivers United had to play their home match away from Nigeria in their encounter with Celtic Bloemfontein late last year.

At the time, Rivers United were already coasting to an impressive victory after their 2-0 away win. Enyimba do not have such advantage and will want to make effective use of home ground.

After much consultations and deliberations, it’s now confirmed that they  will host their counterparts from South Africa Orlando Pirates at the Enyimba International Stadium.

Just before the match-day 4 against Ahli Benghazi of Libya, there were speculations on the venue where the People’s Elephants will play the final home game.

However, it was confirmed on Monday morning that the match has finally being agreed to be played at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba.

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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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