Enyimba’s Opponent in Confederation Cup Q’finals to Emerge Today

Femi Solaja

Fresh from last minute goal qualification into the knock out phase of CAF Confederation Club Cup, Enyimba FC will this afternoon know their opponent in the next round of the competition as the draw ceremony hold today in Cairo Egypt.

As group leader, it is very clear the teams the Nigerian representative will meet and those that will be on later phase of the competition if they progress further in the competition.

According to Thisday findings, Enyimba has any of the three teams that finished second in Groups B, C and D of the just concluded league phase of the competition.

Their opponents will be any of the following: Coton Sport FC (Cameroon), CS Sfaxien (Tunisia) and Pyramids FC (Egypt) because all the teams are runner up from their respective groups to this stage.

By implication, Orlando Pirates, whom Enyimba defeated late Wednesday night to head the group will meet any of the leaders from other groups and will need to fight for another day if both clubs emerge victorious after this stage of the competition.

As group winners, Enyimba will host the second leg of the last eight tie on 23th May having played the first leg away a week earlier

To reach this stage of the competition, Cyril Olisema, scored as late as the 95th minute, as Nigeria’s Enyimba defeated South African visitors Orlando Pirates 1-0 in Aba on Wednesday night to top Group A of the 2020-21 CAF Confederation Cup.

With the score goalless five minutes into injury time, Enyimba was trailing the group on seven points, and with Algeria’s ES Setif leading at home 1-0 to Libya’s Ahly Benghazi at the same time, it was Pirates and Setif who are in the quarterfinals.

But Olisema scored a priceless goal that won Enyimba the game, and shifted his side from the group’s bottom to top, as they levelled Pirates on nine points but with a better head-to-head record on away goals’ rule. Setif tally stopped at eight to leave the tournament with broken hearts.

Enyimba and Pirates joined the quarterfinals draw, while Ahly Benghazi trailed the thrilling group on seven points.

In Aba, visitors Pirates were happy to contain their hosts Enyimba for almost the entire game. The People’s Elephant – as Enyimba is nicknamed – threw everything in attack, knowing a single goal could guide them to the quarterfinals. But Pirates defence stood tall till the 95th minute.

But it was to be a very late drama, when substitute Tosin Omoyele found Olisema who scored the goal Enyimba needed, as they celebrated wildly with the final whistle.

Meanwhile in Setif, it was an early bizarre goal that gave the hosts victory. After a cross, the ball rebounded from Benghazi’s Ali Al Qomati’s hand, and while the referee was about to whistle a penalty, his assistant waved that the ball already crossed the goal line to give the hosts a second minute early lead.

Ahli Benghazi tried to find the equalizer but in vain. And while Setif thought that was enough to qualify with the final whistle going while it was still goalless in Aba, they were to have a very late heartbreak with Enyimba snatching the qualification ticket from their hands.