Two of Nigeria’s flag-bearers in continental competitions return to action today, with away ties from home.
Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Champions League representatives, Enyimba International Football Club of Aba, will tackle Smouha Football Club of Egypt in a return leg tie.
A letter from the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has informed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that the match would be played at the Alexandria Stadium in Egypt’s second city, starting from 5pm local time.
Enyimba walks a tightrope with its lone goal victory in the first leg match played in Aba. It needs to be in the best of forms to either improve on the first leg performance or hold the Egyptian side to a draw.
Anything short of qualification for the team to the next round would be hurting the feelings its supporters and football fans in Nigeria.
Already, top striker, Mfon Udoh, has promised to help the team achieve its aim in this crucial return leg by ensuring that it wins the match.
He said: “It will be a tough tie because we know the Egyptians are full of antics, but we are prepared for them. We will not allow that to dampen our morale.
“We’ve put behind us the result of the first leg and we are going for the return leg as if the first leg has not been played.
“We are determined to win in Alexandria, and with God on our side, we will not disappoint the country.”
The ‘Peoples Elephants’, as Enyimba FC is called, won the competition back-to-back in 2003 and 2004. It also has a good away record.
The country’s only remaining face in the CAF Confederation Cup, Warri Wolves, will also play Dedebit of Ethiopia today.
Unlike Enyimba, Warri Wolves defeated its opponents 2-0 in the first leg match played in Warri and looks good to consolidate on the performance for a qualification to the next stage of the competition.
The leadership of the NFF has already charged the two teams to ensure that they put up a good fight in the ties and come back victorious.
TheNiche gathered that NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, held talks with officials and players of the two teams immediately after the first leg ties and also during their preparations for the second leg and urged them to fight till the last blast of the whistle.
