
Two-time African champions Enyimba overcame a numerical handicap to enjoy a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Aba ahead of Sunday’s reverse fixture courtesy of a Cyril Olisema second half goal.
The Stanley Eguma-led Pride of Rivers must score two goals and ensure that they don’t concede any to stand the chance of qualifying to the group stage.
Speaking ahead of the clash, head coach of Enyimba, Fatai Osho said the game won’t be an easy task but remained optimistic that the People’s Elephants would advance to the group stage of the competition.
“And coming in here (Port Harcourt), it won’t be an easy task, but we want to be optimistic that we will scale this hurdle.”
To ‘scale this hurdle’ on Sunday, Osho and his Enyimba side will have to do it without their in-form striker Tosin Omoyele, who was sent off for retaliation with 15 minutes left in the first leg.
The former Remo Stars gaffer described the striker’s absence as ‘a big miss’, adding that it is ‘quite unfortunate’.
“He is a player that is in the best shape of his life,” Osho said of Omoyele, who has scored 3 goals in his last three NPFL matches for Enyimba.
“We would have loved him to be here playing along with us, but unfortunately, the red card which is no fault of anybody than his. There is no way you allow that to happen. You don’t retaliate in football. No matter what, discipline has to play a big role if the team is to have success.
“It’s a big miss, and it is quite unfortunate.”
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