Tag: Enyimba

A 40-man contingent of Enyimba FC yesterday Nigeria for Morocco ahead of their decisive African Football League (AFL) match against Wydad AC.

The Moroccan aviation authorities had been on hide-and-seek with the Nigerian champions over landing permit related issues, thus, delaying the People’s Elephants from traveling out Monday evening aboard their Air Peace airline chartered flight.

But at noon yesterday, the Nigerians received a positive signal from Morocco to land in their facility.

“We’ve finally received the permission to land in Morocco”, an official of the club disclosed.

Read Also: Redemption Mission: Enyimba, Akwa United light up Aba  

“We’re already boarding, having gone through the Immigration protocol,” the official said.

Meanwhile, The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has yielded to the request of Enyimba to reschedule the return leg match against Wydad Athletic Club to tomorrow.

The return leg match was originally fixed for today  in Casablanca but has now been moved at the behest of Enyimba due to the delay they experienced in their departure to Morocco.

Another African Football League match that also suffers postponement is a match involving Tunisia’s Esperance Sportive de Tunis and Congo DR’s TP Mazembe.

The return leg match in Tunis has also been moved from today to tomorrow.

Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) titleholders, Enyimba were beaten by Gombe United in their first game of the season while Akwa United have got just a point out of two games. Both teams will face off in Aba on Sunday with so much at stake writes TUNDE LIADI.

It has been a turbulent start to the 2023-24 NPFL for reigning Champions, Enyimba who began title defence with a 2-0 loss away to Gombe United last weekend. The People’s Elephant have not been fantastic in their build up to the season with losses to FC One Rocket, Rivers United.

They were spared the difficult task of hosting Bendel Insurance on Matchday 1 of the season due their visitor’s  CAF Confederation Cup engagement against RS Berkane of Morocco same weekend.

The Elephants of Aba will now host Akwa United on Sunday with the arduous task of securing their first three points of the season to give their fans something to cheer about.

Akwa United have not always been easy meat for Enyimba in the past three seasons. Enyimba were held to a goalless draw at home last season a solitary goal was all they could muster two seasons ago. In the 2021-2022 season, the Aba giants were leading for the most part of the game, before conceding a late goal to end 1-1.

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This is one match the nine-time League champions must win to stop the current worrying thoughts among fans that are not happy with their team’s lacklustre performance in the CAF Champions League and the build up to the league season.

They watched with disbelief when visiting Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya came to Aba to grab a goalless draw to kick Enyimba out of the continent in the first round for the first time. That Enyimba could not score one at home is unsettling for many of them.

Head coach, Finidi George told journalists after his team’s loss to Gombe United that that he and his players were disappointed with the defeat and that they are on redemption mission against Akwa United.

He said it was hard to tell why they crashed out in the first round of the CAF Champions League despite putting in so much effort to correct the first leg mistakes.

The former Super Eagles winger noted that he and his players are willing to correct the wrongs in the game with the Savannah Scorpions, but accept the outcome. They are prepared for the tie with Akwa United tomorrow.

He said: “We never planned for the season to start the way it did. We wanted a good preseason and a better start to the CAF Champions League as well as the domestic league season, but it didn’t work out that way. “I am still unable to describe what really played out in Benghazi and Aba against Al Ahly Benghazi. We were flat in defence in the first leg with some errors made but we tried to correct all that in the return leg before our fans. The goals refused to come and we had to bow out.

“In the league game with Gombe United, we had gone with our best legs and the determination to win the game or get a respectable draw but we lost and must prepare for the next game with Akwa United with all we have.”

Akwa United on their part are also struggling after playing two games without a win. With new coach, Fatai Osho in the saddle, the Promise Keepers were flogged 5-3 by Bayelsa United on penultimate Saturday season’s opener. Last weekend, they played goalless against newly promoted Sporting Lagos.

Osho and his boys must be under intense pressure to record a positive outcome in Aba making the outing a must watch as one of the biggest in the week.

This is in consideration of the history that exists between the two clubs. In the last five encounters Akwa United have won two, Enyimba one and they have come out even in the other two. In all the matches, both have stood shoulder to shoulder with a goal separating them.  

Aside that Enyimba and Akwa United are both on redemption mission after the poor start in the season, making the match even more interesting. NPFL fans should expect a Super Sunday in Aba.

Enyimba FC have acquired the services of FC One Rocket midfielder, Daniel Daga on a season long loan deal until the expiration of the 2023-24 season.

Daga flourished at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Argentina with the Flying Eagles and there have been clusters of clubs allegedly eager to sign him.

“We can confirm that our midfielder , Daga Daniel has joined  Enyimba FC on a season-long loan deal until the end of the 2023/2024 season,” FC One Rocket wrote in a statement.

“Agreement has been reached by both sides for the 🇳🇬 under 20 star, who spent last season on loan at Dakkada FC, where due to national team engagements, made just one appearance for the Chosen Ones in the Nigeria Premier Football League and scored in that game, a 1-1 opening day draw against Bayelsa United at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa.

“The Benue-born star shone at the WAFU B Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifiers and also represented Nigeria at the Under 20 AFCON.

Read Also: AFCON 2023: Nigerian referees, lost in the shuffle

“He dazzled at the FIFA Under 20 World Cup with Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, helping them reach the knockout rounds.

“Daga was inspiring for us in pre-season. He scored twice in our run to the Tico/Select Pre-season Tournament final, before our eventual loss to Abia Warriors on penalties. Daga scored the equalizer to make it 2-2 in the closing minutes.

“Everyone at FC ONE Rocket wishes Daga the very best during his loan spell at Enyimba FC.”

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has warned Enyimba and other seven participating teams in the inaugural edition of the African Football League that they risk paying hefty fine if any of them withdraw from the competition

CAF noted that such club or clubs will be fined between $15,000 and $20, 000.

The decision may have to do with the present situation of the Angolan champions Petro De Luanda whose participation remained a big doubt.

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CAF further confirmed that the club will be banned from participating in the 2024 edition of the competition.

Nigeria champions Enyimba FC is among the 8 pioneer clubs for the competition slated to commence in October 2023.

Nigeria Premier Football League Champions, Enyimba will face Federation Cup winners , Bendel Insurance in the opening fixture of the 2023-24 Nigeria Premier Football League season at their fortress, Enyimba International Stadium, Aba on September 10th .

n the draw held yesterday in Abuja, the People’s Elephant who won their ninth league title at the end of the NPFL Championship Playoff held in June will relish the prospect of facing the Benin Arsenals who got a 1-1 draw in Aba and even went the entire regular season unbeaten before that run ended during the NPFL Championship Playoff in Lagos.

Read Also: CAF Champions League: Al Ahly Benghazi stop Enyimba in seven goal thriller

In another tantalizing fixture, 2021-22 league winners, Rivers United will host Remo Stars at the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.

It would be recalled that the Pride of Rivers finished third at the end of last league season after they were pipped by the Sky Blue Stars who ended the campaign in second place to qualify for the CAF Champions League for the first time.

There is south-south derby in Yenagoa between Bayelsa United and Akwa United while Sporting Lagos will start their NPFL journey with a home fixture against Gombe United at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos.

At the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, Heartland will mark their return to the topflight with a tough home tie against Lobi Stars; Enugu Rangers trade tackles with Doma United at a yet to be determined play ground while Abia Warriors will lock horns with Niger Tornadoes in Umuahia.

NPFL Matchday One Fixtures

Bayelsa United vs Akwa United

Shooting Stars vs Plateau United

Abia Warriors vs Niger Tornadoes

Enyimba Int’l vs Bendel Insurance

Rivers United vs Remo Stars

Katsina United vs Kwara United

Sunshine Stars vs Kano Pillars

Heartland FC vs Lobi Stars

Sporting Lagos vs Gombe United

Enugu Rangers vs. Doma United

Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champion Enyimba Football Club of Aba has been listed among the top African clubs that will compete at the inaugural African Football League (AFL) scheduled for October later this year.

Enyimba who recently exited the CAF Champions League after losing to their Libyan counterpart in the first round is among Africa’s highest ranked football clubs that will compete in the exciting new ‘Super’ competition designed to showcase the best of African club football and provide football fans in Africa and around the world, the opportunity to see and enjoy the very best of the beautiful game on the African Continent.

Read Also: Olanrewaju, Atule tip Enyimba to bounce back after Champions League ouster

The AFL is a partnership between CAF and FIFA. The inaugural edition of the AFL will feature eight of Africa’s most famous and successful teams from the three African Regional Blocks which are: the North Region, the Central-West Region and the South-East Region.

Egyptian giants Al Ahly Football Club, Tunisia’s Esperance Sportive de Tunis and Wydad Athletic Club from Morocco are the football clubs from the North Region.

The clubs from the Central-West Region are: Enyimba FC and the DRC’s Tout Puissant Mazembe.

Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club from South Africa, Angola’s Atlético Petróleos de Luanda and Tanzania’s Simba Sports Club are the football clubs from the South-East Region.

The draw for the Inaugural AFL competition will be held in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday September 2, in Cairo and will be streamed live on the AFL website and televised by CAF’s broadcast partners.

The fixtures of the Inaugural AFL competition are structured on a home and away basis. The competition starts with knock-out quarter finals and will be followed by the semi-finals and the final; all of which are played over two legs.

This historic Inaugural edition of the AFL will take place over four weeks, kicking off with the Opening Ceremony and the first match on October 20 in Dar es Salam, Tanzania.

The semi-finals will take place between 29 October and 1 November.

The final matches which will determine the winner of the Inaugural AFL competition will take place on 5 and 11 November 2023.

The Inaugural AFL is a precursor to the fully-fledged AFL competition which will feature the 24 highest ranked football clubs on the African continent and will commence during the 2024/2025 football season.

Enyimba chief coach Yemi Olanrewaju said the entire players, coaches and everyone at the club was disappointed over  the early ouster of the People’s Elephant in the CAF Champions League.

The former MFM coach however disclosed that the positive from their defeat is that Enyimba would be formidable to beat by the time they are at peak level.

He said the club began preparations for the CAF Champions League very late for obvious reasons but praised the players whom he said gave a good account of themselves.

Read Also; Manchester United rally from two goals down to beat 10-man forest

“It was a good game considering the time we resumed training. Our first game in Libya was our second week of resumption but in spite of that the boys gave a good account of themselves. We paid dearly with the last goal we conceded in Libya,” Olanrewaju told our correspondent.

“We couldn’t score here and it has affected the entire players who needed pep talk to be up again.”

The former Kwara United midfielder who is popularly dubbed Yema affirmed that their early defeat in the CAF Champions League won’t define their season as they still hope to defend the league title and do well in the African Football League and other competitions.

“We would not allow this game to disrupt our season activities. I want to thank the fans who came in large numbers to support the team. We are disappointed that we couldn’t get the result we needed after scoring three goals away,” he added. “The players are not at their peak yet. We could have rounded off the game in the first half but we didn’t take our chances. We told them the second half would be difficult because they would introduce their antics and get frustrated.”

Speaking in the same vein, Enyimba attacker, Joseph Atule has apologised for the team’s early exit from the lucrative CAF Champions League.

He said: “I know it is a very sad one for people of Aba and the whole team is very sad that they could not meet up to the expected standard but we put in our best and did everything we could to make sure we win the game but we were unlucky not to score even a goal that could have been enough..

“We worked as a team and we did everything possible to get a win but I will just say today was a bad day for us.

“We will work very hard for it and I am assuring the Aba fans and the people that we are going to work very hard to achieve a lot in the league.”