Enyimba have ended their continental campaign this season after losing 3-1 to Confederation Cup defending champions, Zamalek of Egypt in Cairo.

The hope of getting into the quarter-finals vanished following the loss and the victory of the other Egyptian side in Group D, Al-Masry who also beat Mozambique’s Black Bulls by 3-1.

Enyimba ended their group stage campaign with six points to place third.  

The two Egyptian sides, Zamalek and Al-Masry advanced with 14 and nine points respectively.

Enyimba could not capitalise on a depleted Zamalek who played without seven of their regular players.

Despite not having much at stake having qualified before the match and having to step down their potential strength, Zamalek opened the match with ferocity in search of an early goal.  

Enyimba relied mainly on defensive security and resorting to counterattacks.

Zamalek’s first chance came in the 10th minute, but Mohamed Atef’s shot from outside the penalty area was saved by the Enyimba’s goalkeeper.

Then followed another attack in the 14th- minute as Mustafa Shalaby fired a powerful shot that went next to the left post of Enyimba’s goal.

Al-Jaziri almost put Zamalek ahead in the 22nd minute with a header, but the ball went past the right post of the visitors’ goal.

In the 29th minute, Mostafa Shalaby succeeded in scoring the opening goal for Zamalek after receiving a cross from Zizo and meeting it with a direct header to the right of the goalkeeper.

Tunisian Seif Jaziri wasted a clear opportunity for the Whites in the 31st minute with a header that went next to the right post of the Nigerian team’s goalkeeper, before Jaziri wasted another opportunity in the 36th minute with a header.

Enyimba players resorted to shooting from outside the penalty area to hit Zamalek’s defence.  

At the beginning of the second half, Zamalek intensified attempts and Seif El-Jaziri succeeded in scoring the second goal in the 48th minute after he took advantage of a mistake by the Enyimba goalkeeper, took the ball from him and shot it into the empty goal.

Mohamed Sobhi shone in the 54th minute, blocking a powerful shot from outside Zamalek’s penalty area.

In the 57th minute, Ifeanyi Ihemekwele scored Enyimba’s  goal with a shot from inside Zamalek’s penalty area.

In the 88th minute, Seif El Jaziri scored Zamalek’s third goal with an individual effort after he dribbled past Enyimba’s defence line and shot the ball into an empty net.

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Tunisian striker Fakhreddine Ben Youssef scored a first-half hat-trick to fire Masry into the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals after a 3-1 home victory over Mozambique’s Black Bulls.

Securing their berth with a confident display, Masry clinched the second spot in Group D with a total of nine points, trailing behind table-toppers Zamalek, who also secured a quarterfinal spot with a five-point lead.

Maintaining a crucial four-point advantage over Nigeria’s Enyimba in third place, the Black Bulls found themselves at the bottom of the group standings with four points.

Ben Youssef initiated the scoring for Masry with a precise header from close range, capitalizing on a splendid cross from Karim Bambo.

The former Carthage Eagle striker then doubled the lead in the 42nd minute with a clinical right-footed finish from the heart of the box.

He completed his hat-trick three minutes later with another composed right-footed strike from the left side of the box, finding the bottom left corner with finesse.

Black Bulls managed to pull one back through Rume Akporoh, who netted a goal in the 57th minute with a well-placed right-footed shot after an assist by Khadre Gueye.

Despite dominating the first half, Masry faced early setbacks, missing a penalty kick just 13 minutes into the game as Hassan Ali struck the right post with a left-footed effort.

In the second half, Masry’s coach Ali Maher brought new blood onto the pitch to maintain their dominance and secure their passage to the knockout stage.

-Ahram

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Enyimba could capitalise on a weakened Zamalek squad when they clash in Cairo on Sunday evening in a closing Group D match of the CAF Confederation Cup.

At least five regular players have been confirmed by Zamalek as unlikely to feature in the match which Enyimba hope to win and expect Al-Masry to drop points in a corresponding match with Mozambique’s Black Bulls.

Zamalek will be without Mahmoud Hamdi El-Wensh, Abdullah El-Saeed, Ahmed Hamdi, Nasser Maher, and Mostafa El-Zenary due to injury.

The sixth player,  Mohamed Hamdi due to lack of readiness, and Nabil Emad Donga due to suspension over to the accumulation of yellow cards.

The technical staff will rely on some substitutes in today’s match in light of the absences that the white team has suffered from recently.

In contrast, the Nigerian team Enyimba is looking forward to achieving victory to hold on to the hope of qualifying for the quarterfinals if Al-Masry loses to the Mozambican team Black Bulls.

The technical staff was keen to prepare the players for the match, and stressed the difficulty of the match, especially since Zamalek will play the match on its home field and among its fans.

Stanley Eguma, Enyimba’s coach, stressed the importance of the match and confirmed that Zamalek will not be affected by the absences in the team’s ranks.

The technical staff of the Nigerian team relies on its players such as Henry Ani in goal, Owana Enwu, Somiari Alaliyu, Chikamosu, Chimeri Okadeke in defence, Innocent Oke, Nweke Kalu, Elijah Akanni in midfield, and Joseph Atwoli, Ifeanyi, Akinyi Awaze in the attack.

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