NIGERIA TEAM’S NAMESAKE, GREEN EAGLES HOPE TO CONFIRM NEXT ROUND BERTH

A Zambian clubside with the former nickname of Nigeria’s national team, Green Eagles along with tough opponents of Nigeria’s Enugu Rangers in the 1970s, Green Buffaloes, on Wednesday hope  to successfully wrap-up  their  respective first round  assignments  in the CAF Confederation  Cup.

Until March 28, 1988, the Nigerian national team was called Green Eagles until the Late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu rechristened the team as “Super Eagles”.

The two Zambian sides, Green Eagles and Green Buffaloes made bright starts as they seek better fortunes in this edition following  Buffaloes  and  Nkana’s  elimination on  the first hurdle of  the  Confederation Cup.

Green Eagles and Buffaloes are both  away  this  week  and  armed  with  similar 2-0  home wins from match –day-one  last  week.

Continental debutants Eagles are in eSwatini to face Young Buffaloes while Buffaloes visit South Sudan to play El Merriekh Juba.

Eagles have quietly settled in eSwatini  for the last  four  days to plot  their  passage to  the  second  round and  coach  Aggrey Chiyangi  has kept faith in the  same side that won on November  27 in Choma.

But Eagles’ 2018  league season top scorer on  19  goals, Tapson  Kaseba,  is  absent for  a second successive match  and is  a subject of interest from  South  Africa  PSL  club and  fellow CAF  Confederation Cup  campaigners  Free  State  Stars.

A successful   outing in eSwatini for Green Eagles  will see  them book first leg away date on  December  15  to face either Hussein Dyey of  Algeria  or  Diables  Noirs of  Congo   Brazzaville with  the  North  Africans  enjoying a 2-0 home win from the  first leg on November  27.

Meanwhile, Buffaloes are looking to complete  the job  in Juba  against  El Merrikeh on their  debut  visit  to  South  Sudan.

“It is really important that when you play a game like that and  you get the result, a lot of players get excited but we are talking to them and we are telling them that the game is not yet over until after  the second leg which is here in South Sudan,”  Buffaloes  coach  Bilton Musonda said.

“We are doing a lot to also tell them that football is not all about home advantage because even away, you can surprise people and win it if you have the right mentality and good attitude towards the game.”

Buffaloes second  round date should they successfully  navigate  their  way in Juba  will be a big  second round test against  the tournaments record  three-time champions  CS  Sfaxien away in Tunisia on December  15.