It was once again a weekend of mixed results for Nigeria’s representatives on the continent as Enyimba and Nasarawa United won their matches in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup while Warri Wolves suffered a loss at home in the Champions League.
Enyimba on Sunday beat Vital’O of Burundi 5-1 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt to take an advantage into the second leg of the match in Bujumbura in a fortnight.
Wolves in the Champions League, lost 1-0 to visiting El Mearreikh of Sudan. The Seasiders will have to turn the tie around in Sudan to stand a chance of qualifying for the next round of the competition.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Nasarawa also on Sunday, beat 10-man CS Constantine of Algeria 1-0 at the National Stadium, Abuja to take a slim advantage into the second leg also in a fortnight. The Solid Miners have been struggling — both in the local league and on the continent — since the start of the season. Ifeanyi Nweke scored the winner in the 85th minute following a 62nd minute sending off of Constantine’s Boulemdaïs.
A brace each from 2013/14 Nigeria Premier League top scorer, Mfon Udoh and Stephen Chukwude, and one goal from Leonard Ugochukwu gave Enyimba the victory while Hussein Shaban scored the consolation for the visitors.
According to Enyimba’s Twitter handle, the home side started the brighter, pegging the visitors to their half of the pitch. The People’s Elephant missed a couple of chances to go ahead but midfielder, Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, got injured in the 15th minute of the match.
Enyimba took the lead in the 21st minute when Chukwude tapped in from a pass from Christian Pyagbara. They went two goals up in the 24th minute when Udoh curled a shot in from the edge of the box. The third goal came in the 38th minute when Chukwude grabbed his brace with a shot, which Vital’s goalkeeper could not keep out. Udoh doubled his tally in the 56th minute with an assist from Chukwude.
Vital scored a consolation in the 76th minute but Enyimba restored their four-goal lead in the 85th minute when Ugochukwu scored from a solo effort. The second leg of the matches will come up in the weekend of March 25 to 27.
