CAF Confederation Cup
Paul Bassey lauds Gov. Udom on Confederation Cup final’s successful hosting
Three weeks after the successful hosting of the CAF Confederation Cup Final by Akwa Ibom State, the General coordinator of the Local Organizing Committee Elder Paul Bassey has lauded Governor Emmanuel Udom for a “near flawless” hosting.
Speaking in Ilorin in an interactive session with Sports journalists, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Udom on Sports said for him the most challenging part of the assignment was the Security and safety of the various visitors that trooped into Nigeria for the continental final.
Two days before the final, we witnessed the arrival of the 7 man VAR group from Switzerland and I said to myself “…God, have mercy.
After that came the CAF team, most of them “whites,” the Moroccan delegation, the CAF guests and VIPs. That they all came in and left safely without any incident whatsoever, makes me salute Governor Emmanuel for superintending over one of the safest, if not the safest State in Nigeria.
“In the course of taking a hosting decision security concerns were raised, yet the Amaju Pinnick led NFF convinced CAF that Akwa Ibom was safe, peaceful and hospitable and this was manifested to the letter through a robust security architecture that left nothing to chance. Even spectators that turned out in great number, going back home by midnight had nothing to fear.”
Elder Bassey also gave kudos to the Chairman of the LOC, and Commissioner for Youth and Sports Sir Monday Ebong Uko who oversaw an action plan that made Akwa Ibom, nay Nigeria proud as successful host of the continental show piece.
“Despite the hosting rumours, we were officially informed of the success of our bid just ten days to the final. This sounds impossible, yet the LOC Chairman believed we could do it and galvanized all into action, including his colleagues in the Ministries of Health, Information and Strategy and Special Duties.
“Looking back, this can be considered one of the greatest challenges of my sports career, that is why we are grateful to God, His Excellency and the good people of Akwa Ibom State that we made the NFF and Nigeria proud for believing in us.
“The media was vociferous, Akwa Ibomites turned out in their thousands despite the late kick off time of 8:00p.m, 25,000 strong to support two neutral teams.
“We harnessed all human and material resources available to us, Ibom Air, excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities, world class sports infrastructure… to deliver a well-organized and applauded final, advantage Nigeria.
“Overtime, the government of Akwa Ibom State has demonstrated capacity and sagacity in the delivery of key expectations advantage the people.
“This was amplified when His Excellency decided to afford Nigerians the opportunity of watching the match free of any charge” Elder Bassey said.
It will be recalled that Nigeria, through Akwa Ibom State was saddled with the responsibility of hosting the CAF Confederation Cup Final between Orlando Pirates of South Africa and RS Berkane of Morocco on Friday, May 20 2022 in Uyo.
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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