By BIG MATCH PREVIEW By VICTOR ENYINNAYA on May 16, 2021

Nigeria’s representatives in this year’s Africa second tie football championship, CAF Confederation Cup, Enyimba International FC, are set to trade tackles with high flying Egyptian club side, Pyramids FC. From all indications, the Aba warlords are determined to go the extra mile to ensure that they survive this crunch first-class weekend showdown in the bland of the pharaohs.

Going by the pedigree of the two teams it is obvious that it won’t be easy for both of them if match plans and strategies work right.

No doubt, fans that will be there live at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium (Qahiral) Cairo by 5pm local time – if the game is not played behind closed doors – will have a lot to cheer as the two first-rate clubs in the continent try each other for size ahead of the second leg to be played in Aba on May 23, by 4pm.

Back to this evening’s showdown, indications are that the hosts will like to follow the tradition of Egyptian teams and come out hard on their visitors from the blast of the referee’s whistle. From the look of things, the game won’t be an easy one for both teams if the match officials allow it to flow.

The Nigerian team, according to reports, is battle-ready, determined to ensure a good result in order not to be under much pressure during the second leg.

Truth is that the People’s Elephant have kept a comfortable slate in their away games and this evening’s cracker will surely put coach Fatai Osho’s technical savvy and match strategy to test. The prayer is that he gets it right from the first to the last blast of the referee’s whistle.

Players of Enyimba before they departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos for Cairo expressed optimum of ensuring that they will do well. In short, the team is high spirits ahead of the litmus test.

If the players of Enyimba, though young, concentrate on this crucial tie it will Pyramids hostage right in front of their fans. Both old war horses won’t let go easily as the match will prove highly technical and tactical, too. The two war lords in this highly unpredictable game have respect for each other and so would approach the encounter with utmost carefulness from the opening seconds, looking for loopholes to exploit.

From whichever angle one may look at it, Enyimba is in for a decisive battle against an equally desperate Egyptian football club that is hungry for honours and so it won’t be an easy set-up this evening in faraway Egypt.

Sadly, however, Enyimba’s influential winger Anayo Iwuala will miss this crucial first leg tie as a result of cards in previous matches. His sleek dazzles against opponents will be missed and the only way his absence won’t be greatly felt would be for his team mates to go all out fighting and get a respectable result today against Pyramids.

All what Enyimba International FC need today in Egypt is concentration, focus, eye on the ball, quick thinking, determination to withstand the traditional antics of the Egyptians and ensure that they calmly soak up the pressure without being unruly as they carefully follow their game plan.

•PHOTO: Enyimba International

Source Daily Sports

Posted May 16, 2021

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