Olisa Ndah Coming to Uyo with Orlando Pirates for RS Berkane Clash

Olawale Ajimotokan

Nigeria international defender Olisa Ndah will be on parade when Orlando Pirates of South Africa take on RS Berkane of Morocco in the final of this year’s CAF Confederation Cup at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Friday.

Ndah played for the Super Eagles’ squad at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon earlier in the year and is on the books of the popular South African club, nicknamed Bucaneers. Pirates won the old-style Africa Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1995.

Ndah, who also played for the Nigeria U23 squad at the U23 AFCON in Egypt in 2019, won the Nigeria league title with Uyo darlings, Akwa United FC before moving to the Rainbow Nation.

To reach the final of Africa’s second most important club competition, Pirates defeated Al Ahli FC of Libya 2-0 in Johannesburg in the first leg of their semi final, before losing by a lone goal in Libya on Sunday.

Berkane were 1-0 losers to TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo but turned things around by winning the return leg 4-1 in Morocco, also on Sunday.

The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo – venue of several FIFA World Cup and AFCON qualifiers involving the Super Eagles, as well as continental matches involving Akwa United FC – will on Friday play host to the first continental Cup Final in Nigeria in 18 years. 

The last time an Africa Clubs’ Cup Final was held in Nigeria was on 12th December 2004, when Enyimba FC defeated Etoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia on penalties at the National Stadium, Abuja to claim a second successive title.