CAF Confederation Cup
DAYO OJO BELIEVES ENYIMBA WILL SHOUT HOSANNA AFTER HASSANIA CLASH
Enyimba midfielder Dayo Ojo has said a Cup final doesn’t come bigger than his side’s CAF Confederation Cup crucial penultimate clash against Hassania Agadir on Sunday at the Aba International Stadium.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who reached the semi-finals of the second-tier continental competition with Sunshine Stars in 2011, has been one of the mainstays in the People’s Elephant campaign this term and reckons anything short than a demanding African final mentality against the Moroccan visitors would spell doom for their aspirations.
Incidentally, the Moroccans are in pole position in Group B with ten points from their last four matches while Enyimba are second with six points, but Ojo said Sunday’s encounter is a must-win for his side in order to consolidate their position on the table towards qualification for the quarter finals.
“We all know the importance of this upcoming match against Hassania Agadir in Aba,” Ojo told CAFOnline.com
“Sunday’s match against Hassania Agadir is like a Cup final for us because we need a very good result to help us through to the quarterfinals; as such we have to fight our way through.
Hassania is not a small team and the fact that they beat us the last time we met in the group would give us the extra motivation to go against them.”
Enyimba, two-time African Champions, have struggled to impress in recent times and have conceded defeats twice away to Hassania Agadir (2-0) and Paradou AC (1-0) while they claimed victory at home against San Pedro (1-0) and a 4-1 thrashing of Paradou AC.
Now under interim coach Fatai Osho who took over from Usman Abdallah, who parted ways on the back of some insipid results on both the continent and Nigerian soccer scene, Ojo said the Nigerian flagbearers would be up and running.
“Come Sunday, we know what to expect from Hassania. North African teams are usually fast and tricky but we shall be ready to counter them,“ assured Ojo.
“They defeated us 2-0 when we played against them in Agadir with the climate affecting us. But we shouldn’t have any reason to complain on Sunday.
“We just need to work extra hard and be vigilant so that we can get the maximum points that will enhance our position on the log.”
Ojo has been involved in five matches so far but he explained Enyimba have strength in depth to battle their way through this group stage, adding that the whole of the People’s Elephant is greater than the sum of its parts.
“We have so many good players here and honestly, you can’t say this particular player or that player would be the joker for the team,” he assured.
“This is not a team that depends on one or two players because we have so many players that can rise to the occasion when the chips are down; and I’m sure we would all be ready against Hassania on Sunday.”
“I’m here on a mission too; this is my first season with Enyimba and I will be happy to be part of the team that will help them win this particular CAF Confederation Cup which they have not won before.
“I want to win titles because this is one of the best platforms to achieve such dreams and I hope I can realise such dreams in my first season here.
Ojo, who missed the 2-0 away loss to Hassania on Match Day 1, said he personally has a score to settle with the Moroccans after being part of Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles that lost to host Morocco in the final match of the 2018 edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
“Every match is an opportunity to learn new things and I can’t forget how the Moroccans beat us in the CHAN final in 2018,” he said.
“I always like to play back and review past matches and I would be sharing so much with my teammates because Moroccans are fast with the ball but we are going to do our best to curtail them in Aba on Sunday,” noted Ojo.
Equally, coach Osho has also weighed-in on the readiness of his wards, saying all hands are on deck to ensure victory on Sunday:
“They (players) have not allowed anything to weigh them down. The attitude in training has been good, and if we continue for the next two days, we’ll be ready (against Hassania Agadir).”
-Caf
Wydad Casablanca stormed into the CAF Confederation Cup group stage with a dominant 5–1 victory over Asante Kotoko in Casablanca, completing a 6–1 aggregate triumph after winning 1–0 in Ghana last week.
The Moroccan giants were ahead inside the first minute and never looked back, scoring twice from the spot after the interval before adding a late fifth to underline their superiority at the Mohammed V Stadium.
The tone was set almost immediately when Hamza Hannouri finished a sweeping move after only 60 seconds to put Wydad 1–0 up on the night and 2–0 ahead on aggregate.
Kotoko, who had to chase the game, responded bravely and found a lifeline on 18 minutes when Samba Gilbani steered in an equaliser to level the match.
Any hope of a comeback was short-lived. On 26 minutes, Wydad restored their lead through Aziz Ki, who arrived from midfield to convert after the hosts carved open space down the inside-right channel.
With the visitors forced to commit numbers forward, Wydad controlled territory and tempo after half-time, repeatedly drawing fouls in dangerous areas as Kotoko tired.
Their pressure told from the spot in the 54th minute when Thembinkosi Lorch sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 3–1.
The Red and White continued to push, and a second penalty was awarded with six minutes of normal time remaining; Oussama Zemraoui converted confidently for 4–1.
Mohamed Bouchouari added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time, arriving to finish a cut-back for Wydad’s fifth of the evening.
By then the outcome was beyond doubt, with the Moroccan side’s control in both boxes and superior game management decisive across the two legs.
The result returns Wydad to the group phase of a CAF interclub competition, a level they know well from their storied continental history.
Wydad will know their group opponents on Monday.
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CAF Confederation Cup
Owolabi Blames Overconfidence, Inexperience for Kwara United’s CAF Confederation Cup Exit
Former Nigeria international, Felix Owolabi, has attributed Kwara United’s elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup by Ghana’s Asante Kotoko to overconfidence and lack of technical depth on the bench.
Commenting after Kotoko’s 1-0 victory in Abeokuta on Sunday, which sealed a 5-3 aggregate win for the Ghanaian giants, the 1980 AFCON winner revealed that he had earlier warned officials of Kwara United about the quality and tactical strength of their opponents.
“Do you know that I was in Ghana for an assignment when I watched Asante Kotoko play in the finals of the FA Cup against Accra Hearts of Oak?” Owolabi said. “The game ended 2-1 in favour of Kotoko, and I heard the President of Ghana promise to support the team in their continental campaign.”
According to him, the Ghanaian leader’s commitment reflected a renewed determination to revive the fortunes of club football in Ghana.
“He said the days of poor showing by Ghanaian teams were over and was ready to back them financially,” Owolabi noted.
The former Shooting Stars star added that he had returned to Nigeria with insights that could have helped Kwara United prepare better.
“I told some of those close to the team that Kotoko’s full-backs and midfielders were their engine room, and they needed a tactical plan that would disorganise them for the entire 90 minutes,” he explained.
Owolabi said he also cautioned that the tie was far from over despite Kwara United’s earlier away goals advantage.
“I warned them not to take qualification for granted until the final whistle. Psychologically, the three away goals made them overconfident,” he said.
The former winger lamented that Kwara United lacked a “matured tactician” to handle such a delicate second leg.
“All they needed was an experienced hand on the bench — someone who understands the dynamics of continental football,” Owolabi added. “It’s unfortunate. Now, it’s like medicine after death.”
He concluded by urging Nigerian clubs to attach greater importance to technical preparedness and experience when representing the country in continental competitions.
“Football has become too dynamic. Even the areas you least expect surprises have become success zones,” he warned.
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Kwara United’s CAF Confederation Cup journey came to an abrupt end on Sunday following a 1–0 defeat to Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.
The slim victory handed the visitors a 5–3 aggregate triumph, sealing their progression to the next round of the continental competition and dashing the hopes of the Harmony Boys, who had entered the return leg needing only a 1–0 win to advance.
After losing a pulsating first leg 4–3 in Accra last weekend, Kwara United were banking on their three away goals to overturn the deficit.
However, Asante Kotoko displayed greater composure and tactical discipline in Abeokuta, frustrating the hosts for much of the contest.
The decisive moment came midway through the second half when the Ghanaians capitalised on a defensive lapse to grab the only goal of the game — a strike that effectively ended any comeback hopes for the Nigerian side.
Despite a spirited late push from the home team, Kotoko held firm, relying on their experience and solid defensive structure to preserve their advantage.
Kwara United’s head coach, Tunde Sanni, had promised an attacking approach, but his side found it difficult to break down a compact Kotoko backline that absorbed pressure and hit on the counter.
The result means the Ilorin-based club’s continental adventure has ended at the preliminary stage, while Asante Kotoko will now turn their focus to a blockbuster next round clash against Moroccan champions Wydad Casablanca.
For Kwara United, the defeat marks a disappointing end to an otherwise promising campaign, but the team will take positives from their spirited away performance in Ghana and look to regroup for the upcoming domestic season.
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