Two-time winners, Enyimba International FC at Port Harcourt stadium on Sunday, April 10, 2016, trashed a familiar foe, Etoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia, 3-0 in the 1/8th round of this year’s CAF Champions League competition.
The Tunisian giants, who were reduced to 10 men following a red card, will now fight a battle of their life in the second leg in Tunisia for a place at the lucrative pool stages.
The history of both clubs in the competition is legendary and the 2004 edition readily comes to mind when the ‘Peoples Elephant’ as Enyimba are nicknamed braved the odds to defeat Etoile on penalties after a 3-3 tie on aggregate.
Enyimba, the only surviving Nigerian club in the continental club championship this year, relied on the goal scoring prowess of Mfon Udoh to achieve victory. Udoh is the all-time top marksman in the domestic league, a record he inscribed two seasons ago with 23 goals.
Having successfully navigated its way past Ugandan and Burundian champions, Vipers and Vital’O respectively in the preliminary and 1/16th round, with a 2-1 and 6-3 aggregate wins, Enyimba has again proved that it has what it takes to overcome the 2007 winners in this encounter at their adopted, 45,000-capacity Adokie Amiesiamaka Stadium in Port-Harcourt to make the return leg a mere formality.
Aigbogun, who re-joined the team at the start of the season is very optimistic of leading Enyimba as far as the ultimate of this year’s championship and says “no doubt, it is going to be a difficult stage of the competition but not as difficult as the stages we have successfully navigated.
“We are going to give the game more than a 100 per cent in both legs and I’m very optimistic we shall qualify for the group stage. We are not shot of quality players to achieve our lofty aims.
“One good thing about this round is that there are no more unknown teams. We can get some details on how our opponent, Etoile, play just as we are sure they also know much about us. We shall approach the encounter as if it is the final of the competition. Our best shot is what we shall put on display,” Etoile drew a bye at the prelims and overcame Moroccan side, OC Khourigba 3-1 on aggregate.
