Enyimba

Enyimba must beat Morocco’s Raja Casablanca by any margin today to brighten their chance of winning the CAF Champions League for the third consecutive time.

A fortnight ago in Casablanca, the defending champions blew the chances of winning their first match in the group phase, when Yusuf Mohammed missed a crucial penalty, even as the Aba side equally failed to capitalise on a 65th minute red card issued to a Raja player.

A win in today’s crunchy tie would help Enyimba stay on course, while a loss would see them bid the championship farewell. Therefore, they would face an uphill task as they file out against the tricky North Africans, with their semifinal hopes hanging in the balance.

For now, the Aba-based side lie at the bottom in Group A, having secured one draw and two loses from three games.

In fact, things are not really going on well for the People’s Elephant. Apart from having just one point in the championship, players like David Abwo and Emeka Akwueme have been suspended following cases of indiscipline.

But Enyimba Chairman, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, appears unperturbed as he insisted that his team would bounce back to reckoning with today’s match against Raja.
"We may be down, but certainly not out," Anyansi began in an interview with Sunday Sunsport.
"Everyone still believes in our ability to come from behind in the group stages.
"There has been a lot of pressure on us, but I pray people should leave us to do what we must do," he said.

Indeed, Enyimba are under a lot of pressure this time around, having squandered the opportunity of going ahead in their group with the three games they have played. But they are certainly not out of the competition if they can get three points from Raja today.