Enyimba in another ‘stormy’ clash against Etoile

Enyimba of Aba is Nigeria’s most successful club as far as the CAF Champions League is concerned. In 2004, the ‘Peoples Elephant,’ as Enyimba are called, made history by conquering the Tunisian club, Etoile du Sahel, on penalties after a 3-3 tie on aggregate to lift the prestigious CAF Champions League trophy, the firs by a Nigerian club.

The Aba millionaires had won the title the previous year. Since then, no other Nigerian club has won the trophy.

History is again in the making, as Enyimba take on Etoile Sportive du Sahel over two legs for a place at the lucrative pool stages.

To players and officials of Enyimba FC, this ‘battle of Port Harcourt’ is one of those matches they must overcome to become champions of Africa once again.

Enyimba is Nigeria’s only surviving club in continental club championship this year, following the elimination of Warri Wolves, Nasarawa United and Akwa United earlier in both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup competitions.

To get to this stage of the competition, Enyimba brushed aside Ugandan and Burundian champions, Vipers and Vital’O respectively in the preliminary and 1/16th round, with a 2-1 and 6-3 aggregate wins.

Coach Paul Aigbogun says Enyimba has all it takes to overcome the Tunisian giants, Etoile du Sahel, who won the title in 2007.

Tomorrow at their adopted 45,000-capacity Adokie Amiesiamaka Stadium in Port-Harcourt, Aigbogun will be banking on the goal scoring prowess of Mfon Udoh and others like Joseph Osadiaye, Stephen Chukwude, Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, Leonard Ugochukwu, Christian Pyagbara and Nzube Anaezemba to do the damage against the visitors.

Aigbogun, who re-joined the team from Warri Wolves at the start of the season, told The Guardian yesterday that he was optimistic that Enyimba would emerge victorious in the two-legged tie against the Tunisians.