Enyimba of Nigeria face baptism of fire this weekend in Cairo. And the Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF league championship need more than luck to see them to the final stage. Against all predictions, Enyimba failed to utilise the so-called home advantage in their first meeting with Al-Ahly in Aba recently. The goalless outcome has put them on a tight rope.

However, coaches Kadiri Ikhana and few others are lending their voices to those who believe that football is not mathematics. They believe it is not over until it is over. They are, therefore, asking for prayers for Enyimba to move to the final.

The never-say-die spirit of an average Nigerian, is with Enyimba. Talk of the Damman miracle – Enyimba stand out as one that can repeat the feat. If they muster enough courage to play the Egyptians man-to-man in Cairo, the Nigerians may be lucky.

However, they must rise up to the intimidations right from the airport. In all North African countries, they go against the laws of the game in their quest to come out victorious. The Nigerians should not mind their opponents who will pretend to forget them at the airport. They should also ignore the type of hotel they would be quartered. All these are part of efforts to frustrate them so that they will perform below par on the field of play.

Coaches Austin Eguavoen and Coreman know the antics of the Egyptians very well. The Al-Ahly players have the hearts of Pharaoh. They will employ all tricks to ensure Enyimba do not come near their goal-mouth. They have the knack for fouling outstanding players while the referee looks the other way. All these should form prayer points for Nigerians in this weekend battle.

Al-Ahly are a good side. They have good midfielders who can convert half chances. They also have good defenders who can frustrate the best attacker in the globe. On top of this, the club parades good strikers who shoot from all angles. For Enyimba to come out successful, they must be alert and play the game of their lives.

The coaches must guard against fielding players who are easily intimidated. In Egypt, they have a way of stoning players. They have a way of using fire-works to scare lilly-livered players.

If what we saw in their last game in Aba is anything to go by, the Egyptians can come out deadly in the first quarter of the game in the bid to wear Enyimba boys down.

The Al-Ahly coach said they could not play attacking football in the first leg because of the bad state of Aba pitch. He promised his boys would go the extra mile when they play in Egypt.

The NIGERIAN OBSERVER believes that adequate preparations and the will to succeed will see Enyimba through. If the Nigerians are determined, they will not only walk the Egyptians into a load of grief, they will come out with the final ticket. All they need is to correct the mistakes made during the first leg and come out more determined.

The lesson for all of us is that we should be better prepared when playing at home. If Enyimba had played well in Aba, football fans in Nigeria would have seen their qualification as a forgone conclusion.

Definitely it is not going to be a relaxed stroll for the Aba boys, they must work hard for the victory which must be achieved.
Good luck Enyimba boys.

Home | About Us | Advertising | Archives | Contact Us | Weekend OBSERVER | Sunday OBSERVER