Enyimba ready for Champions League kick-off, says Abd’allah

Enyimba Coach, Usman Abd’Allah has revealed that his side have been able to sustain the hunger for success from last season, as the team head into another campaign in the CAF Champions League.

The People’s Elephant enjoyed domestic success last season, overcoming a sloppy start to finish as champions of Nigeria for a record eighth time and sealing a return to the Champions League in the process.

Just over one month after claiming their NPFL crown, Abd’Allah’s men are set to commence a new season with the CAF Champions League preliminary round match against Burkina Faso 1ére division champions Rahimo FC. And speaking ahead of the fixture in Ouagadougou, Abd’Allah says the prospect of Champions League success has kept his team wanting more.

“I think they do (have the hunger) because they know now we are looking for something beyond the league. “Normally the Champions Cup (League) is a competition that is much higher, I mean the standard of the competition is higher and they (the players) know a lot has been expected of them.“You know we left the same set of our last team because the nucleus of the team is still there.

So we boosted the team again and we got so many new players to join the team so that we can have more strength in the Champions League. “This is the beginning. We hope to win this one and we continue becoming stronger as the competition goes on.”Saturday’s game will be staged at Burkina Faso’s national stadium, the prestigious 38,000 capacity Stade du 4 Août in Ouagadougou, with kick off at 4.00 p.m. local time, which is 5.00 p.m. in Nigeria.