Enyimba advanced into the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup after a 3-2 penalty shootout win against Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso.
Both teams battled to a 0-0 draw at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
The first leg in Bamako also ended in a barren draw.
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Enyimba converted three of their spot kicks, while Etoile Filante managed to score two.
Yemi Olanrewaju’s side are now the only Nigerian club left on the continent.
The People’s Elephant will be looking to become the first Nigerian club to win the CAF Confederation Cup.
By Adeboye Amosu
4 Comments
Congratulations tp the enyimba enyi
“…Yemi Olanrewaju’s side are now the only Nigerian club left on the continent…”
3-2 win via penalties……That was how close we were to not having any.
And it’s now close to a decade since we had a team in the group stages of the CAF Champions League. It’s a shame Enugu Rangers couldn’t advance against an Angolan Side without pedigree. I had high hopes on Coach Ilechukwu, I thought for once we now have a local coach with some technical savvy, but how wrong I was. He couldn’t map out a defensive formation that would protect the 1-0 first leg lead. Rangers conceded twice under 30mins, even when they managed to pull one back, which would have been good enough to get them Tru, they still managed to concede the 3rd and got eliminated. Just look at the way Etoile Fillante held Enyimba 0-0 today, why couldn’t Enugu Rangers hold on in Angola . @ Drey, my brother, what would you suggest that could be done to redeem our local football ??????.
My own issue is why are our teams unable to score goals….home or away…?!
This is still the prelims. At stages like these 2 decades ago when the likes of Julius Berger, Dolphins, Enyimba, Rangers, Lobi campaigned on the continent, away matches were more or less formalities. The damage would already have been done with 3-0 or 4-0 wins at home. Infact enyimba once hammered one team 5-2 away.
To qualify for the group stage of the 2004 CAF CL which enyimba went on to win, Okey Emordi led them to Angola to defeat Petro Athletico 2-1 after the home leg had ended 1-1 leading to the sack of their then Serbain-Australian coach of Miroslav Urukalo.
All these were in an era where we had only 2 continental slots and needed to play 3 rounds of prelims to reach the group stages.
I can’t believe over 2 legs, an Enyimba couldn’t score vs Etoile filante of Burkina Faso. How then would they fare vs the likes of Alhaly, Sundowns, Mazembe, Síbà, Esperance and the rest of the elite clubs in Africa.
We should all stop decieving ourselves….the NPFL in 2024 is no where near the quality (players, coaches, administration) of what it was in 2004….not to even talk about 1994.
CAF should just stop giving us 4 slots. If in a decade we only always manage to get 1 team to the groups….maybe CAF should just give us 1 slot…let the best of the best go out there to represent Nigeria.