Nigeria Content Online

After
emerging as one of the few teams that secured away victories in the
last round of matches in the CAF Champions League, players and
officials of Enyimba FC of Aba are confident that they can get a second
victory over their opponents – Saint Michel du Ouenze from Congo, in
today’s Champions League tie.

In what could be
dubbed a battle of Champions in Brazzaville a fortnight ago, the Aba
Elephants; Nigeria Premier League defending Champions defeated the
reigning Congolese league winners by a lone goal courtesy of a
beautiful strike from Nnemeka Anyanwu in the first half.

With the return leg
billed for the Enyimba International Stadium today, Coach Okey Emordi
says victory is the only thing on his team’s mind again.

“I think we have
done the major part of the work which is to go to Brazzaville to get a
decent result. It is now left to us to finish the job we started by
consolidating on the earlier victory in this Sunday’s return leg game,”
he said.

No complacency

Emordi, a former
CAF Coach of the Year, says his team will be approaching today’s game
with all the seriousness it deserves and would not be complacent
because of the advantage they currently enjoy.

“Yes we are
confident but we will not be complacent, you know in football, it is
not over until the final whistle, they will also fancy their chances
that if we can come over to get a victory in their backyard then they
can do the same thing too but we must not allow that,” he stated.

Emordi continued,
“We are working really hard irrespective of the first leg result. In
fact, we have put that behind us as we look forward to today’s game.”
Already, the Peoples Elephants look to be getting back in their stride
after the defending league champions started the 2010/11 Nigeria
Premier League (NPL) on a shaky note. The team has won its last two
matches in the local league, the latest being a 3-0 drubbing of Kwara
United at today’s match venue, the Enyimba International Stadium.

Emordi said after
the match against Kwara United that the best is yet to come from his
team which emerged as back to back champions in the continent’s biggest
club competition in 2003 and 2004.

Congolese looking for an upset

Coach Massamba
Clemente, Saint Michel du Ouenze’s gaffer knows that his team faces a
tough challenge to get a positive result in Aba today. His job is on
the line following his club management’s threat that he either wins
today’s tie or risk being sacked. The Portuguese coach who is unwilling
to accept defeat remains optimistic of pulling a surprise in Aba.

“We failed to take
advantage of scoring opportunities that were presented to us in the
first leg but we will not give up. We can work to pull a victory in
Nigeria. I know it’s difficult but not impossible,” he argued. The
first leg result could have been different if Saint Michel du Ouenze
had scored from an early minute penalty that was wasted.