It’s not yet celebration time, Anyansi warns

In spite of his team’s qualification for the lucrative pool stage of this year’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League, Enyimba Football Club Chairman, Felix Agwu-Anyansi, says there is still work to be done.
Anyansi led and motivated Enyimba to break a four-year jinx during which no Nigerian club has played at any CAF club competitions group stage since 2012.
The team needed penalties to see off hosts Etoile du Sahel and book its place in the group stage of the CAF Champions League after a 3-3 aggregate score at the Stade Olympique de Sousse on Wednesday, April 20.
Goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai made three consecutive saves from 12 yards to make the difference.
Anyansi praised the players and officials for seeing Nigeria through but said the team will go back to the drawing board to perfect strategies to win the cup again.
His words: “It was a tough battle in Tunisia but we thank God that we were able to qualify for the group stage.
“What we’ve learnt from the encounter is that we still need to work harder. There is still a lot of work to be done in all departments of the team.
“Thank God again that goalkeeper Afelokhai came to our rescue. Playing the North Africans is always very difficult.
“We need to go back to the drawing board. We will not relent on our efforts to win the trophy back again.”
The history of the two clubs in the competition is legendary, and the 2004 edition readily comes to mind when the “Peoples Elephant” as Enyimba is nicknamed, braved the odds to defeat Etoile on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate.
Just like this year’s edition, the Tunisian side had won the first leg 3-0 in 2004 only for Enyimba to erase the goals and go on to win on penalty kicks.
That Enyimba even forced spot kicks was incredible given that it had suffered the heartbreak of seeing Diogo Acosta erase the hosts’ three-goal deficit with 19 minutes to the end of the game.
The first chance of the match fell to Acosta as he volleyed goalwards at an angle in the penalty area, but Afelokhai palmed it behind for a corner.
It didn’t take long for Enyimba to show its attacking ability, however. Mfon Udoh played the ball into John Uche on the edge of the penalty area, and after swiveling, he let rip; but Aymen Mathlouthi made the save, if a little awkwardly.
The hosts continued to look extremely imperious in attack.
This time it was Iheb Msakni who went close, getting on the end of Mehdi Saada’s low cross at the back-post, but much to the relief of Enyimba fans, the Tunisian could only find the side netting.
Enyimba Coach, Paul Aigbogun, was forced to make an early change bringing on Kelly Kester for Ikechukwu Ibenegbu who limped off the field of play.
However, Etoile du Sahel went ahead after 43 minutes, thanks to a superb free-kick from Lahmar after Dare Ojo was penalised for a foul.
The hosts’ goal hardly ushered in a new sense of urgency in Enyimba’s performance, but Aigbogun did see fit the decision to bring on Peter Onyekachi for long-limbed Abu Azeez.
Etoile du Sahel continued to control much of the action and doubled its lead with a fine header from Acosta.
With less than 20 minutes to regulation time, Etoile levelled the game on aggregate through Acosta’s finish.
Etoile continued to push for a late winner and Afelokhai was again called into action when Saada fired a low shot straight into his arms after cutting inside from the right, before the Enyimba goalkeeper needed help from the post.
Christian Pyagbara nearly surprised goalkeeper Mathlouthi having come one on one with him at the edge of the box, but his attempt went just wide as the tie went to penalties.
But having produced a string of stunning saves to deny Benzarti’s men in outfield play, Afelokhai was the hero of the shootout as he saved three penalties for Enyimba to win the encounter 4-3.