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Current
Nigerian League champions, Enyimba FC will today begin their quest for
honours in the 2010/11 Orange CAF Champions League competition when
they confront Congolese side, Saint Michel du Ouenze in one of the
day’s crunch fixtures.

The Aba Elephants
who are having a torrid season on the local front would have to forget
their domestic worries going into today’s game. Currently placed 13th
in the Nigeria Premier league with 16 points from 12 games, the
two-time African champions will have to step up their game if they hope
to go far in this year’s Champions League or perhaps complete a hat
trick of trophies in the continent’s biggest club competition.

Tough task

The Chairman of the
club, Felix Anyansi Agwu, said he does not expect an easy ride over
their host who are the current champions in Congo.

“We know they are
the defending champions of their domestic competition so that means
they are a solid side,” Anyansi Agwu told SuperSport.com.

“Whenever teams
play against us domestically or on the continent, they tend to raise
their game because of the name, Enyimba. We have achieved so much and
teams go the extra mile when they play against us.”

Already Enyimba’s
first choice player in right back position, Samuel Tswanya has been
ruled out of today’s game as he failed to recover from a knock he
picked in the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) game against Warri Wolves a
fortnight ago.

Nonetheless, the
team’s coach, Okey Emordi, is confident that his lads are capable of
getting the desired result in today’s match.

“It’s been a
difficult season no doubt, but I have the belief that if we can get
something together as soon as possible, we will do our best to avoid
defeat,” he said.

Reunion

Coincidentally, one of the Star players for the Congolese team, Sam Ledor is a former Enyimba player.

Ledor has already
promised his former teammates a tough time in today’s tie as he reckons
with the princely treatment being given to him by Saint Michel.

“My team has done
so well for me, and I am grateful to them. I owe them a duty to put in
my best regardless of who is involved,” he said.

Ledor further
hinted that some people in Congo have asked him to take up Congolese
citizenship so that he could play for the national team.

Ledor won several League titles and a Federation Cup title with Enyimba.

A total of 44 clubs
will be involved in action in the preliminary round whilst holders TP
Mazembe and eight other clubs namely; Entiente Setif(Algeria), Al Ahly
(Egypt), Ittihad (Libya), Stade Malien (Mali), Hilal (Sudan), Merrikh
(Sudan), Esperance (Tunisia) and Dynamos (Zimbabwe) are exempted from
this stage of the competition.

The second leg matches is scheduled for February 11-13 with winners advancing to the 1/16th round.