By BIG MATCH PREVIEW by VICTOR ENYINNAYA on May 23, 2021

The first leg result of the above Championship played in Cairo last week Sunday between host Pyramids FC of Egypt and their Nigerian counterpart, Enyimba International FC is no news again as the visitors lost 4-1 in that epic encounter.

According to reports it was a game Enyimba started well and topped it up with a goal in the first half only to ran out of gas (stamina) in the crucial second half which the Egyptians capitalized beautifully on to hit their visitors badly.

However, that has come and gone then the focus will be in Enyimba Stadium Aba this afternoon, May 23 as both teams file out to try themselves to size.

The game obviously on paper is already won and lost however this round leather game has proved even tailor measured pundits and analysts to the cleaners as team have risen from dead to turn the table against all odds.

That is why it is often said that football is not mathematics as one plus one often times proved otherwise in the game. But Enyimba and her handlers will go about this obvious uphill task remains to be seen against an Egyptian side up her sleeves with plenty of tricks that frustrates opponent.

The Nigerian team lost due to lack of stamina that caught up with them which gave the Pyramids the field day to wallop their visitors. I was like shocked when I read the analysis of the match report. Enyimba fizzled out in second half thereby found it extremely difficult to contain their host.

Today the ball is on the court of the Aba side that again has history to rewrite. It is one match the Enyimba team must be focused and determined more than ever before to turn the table against Egyptian club side that will come with all sorts of delay tactics and frustrating moves that would provoke their host to make mistakes that would distract them to their (Pyramids) advantage.

The choice is Enyimba players whether to redouble their efforts to turn up a great result that would stop Pyramids from advancing further in this year’s second tie of African football tournament.

Truth is that it won’t be an easy encounter as the both team won’t let go easier. In short, it will be a tug of war like as supremacy of the game would be the order of the day in the field of play.

Enyimba have much in its mouth to chew.

How Fatai Osho will work assiduously to up the stamina of his team if it must make head way further in the competition. It is one task he must have done thoroughly as that was the black spot that killed off his team’s bright start in the first half of the first leg.

If that and few other defects noticed in the team are plugged and strengthened accordingly then fans of the two time CAF Champions League back to back winner would be half solved. Fatai Osho, his crew and the players knew they are in for raw deal allowing this difficult moment to occur in the first leg.

If Enyimba could start early to score goals it can cancel the three goals deceit and go ahead not conceding any would be the best way to go in an encounter like this. Yes, the Fatai Osho boys though young however have the chances of smiling after this proceeding today.

Again if the homers would be discipline, focus, determined to confront their visitor head on there will be no hiding place for the Egyptians that would not let go with all available delays and tricks that would give them breather to slow down the frays of their host. If Fatai Osho and his boys would get it right from the blast of the referee’s whistle and hold themselves together then the Egyptians they saw last week, they will see no more as the Nigerian team rope into the semi-finals.

No doubt Enyimba is walking tight rope that only early goal, calmness, smart displays and closing up lope holds would guarantee victory for the Aba based squad. This is one game not only the fittest would win it is also the epic encounter a team that don’t see it as child’s play and brace up decisively would smile last.

Enyimba need this game because it has come a long way. To achieve the obvious would be for Fatai Osho to instruct and tell his boys in clearer terms that Abia State Government and Nigerians need this game badly and so must not wobble and fumble.

We all knew who Egyptians teams are be it club side or national team their tricks to frustrate their host are legion and Enyimba must be vigilant not to fall their prey today.    

Enyimba is not new to them and must ensure it avoids what will bring about that. If the match officials would allow the game to flow then the host has great chance to turn the visitors back gamely.

While the game is one match to remember in years to come and Enyimba has no excuse to advance why it won’t score un-replied goal so as to qualify. It is do-able therefore Enyimba go for goals early enough to cancel the first leg goals because the government, people and fans all over the country are behind the team.

•PHOTO: Enyimba International players 

Source Daily Sports

Posted May 23, 2021

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