Nigeria’s sole representative in continental club football, Enyimba, has departed for Egypt ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage opener against Al Masry, scheduled for November 27th at the Suez Canal Stadium.
The People’s Elephants are drawn in Group D, alongside Al Masry, Zamalek, and Mozambique’s Black Bulls. Enyimba will be aiming to progress to the knockout rounds of the competition.
Enyimba secured their group stage ticket after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou, prevailing 3-2 following 180 minutes of goalless regulation and extra time. Similarly, Al Masry booked their place in the group stage by defeating Al Hilal Benghazi 5-2 on penalties after a thrilling 5-5 aggregate draw over two legs.
Traveling early gives Enyimba the opportunity to recover from jetlag, acclimate to Egypt’s weather, and fine-tune their preparations ahead of the crucial encounter. The team is set to have its first training session in Egypt on Sunday.
Enyimba’s preparations included intensive sessions at the practice pitch of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, a facility featuring pure grass similar to the turf at the Suez Canal Stadium. This is expected to aid their adaptation to the playing surface.
Speaking ahead of the match, Enyimba head coach Yemi ‘Yema’ Olanrewaju expressed confidence in his team’s ability to navigate the challenges of Group D. Despite not being considered favorites, the nine-time NPFL champions are determined to make a strong impact in the competition.
“We’re in the toughest group in the Confederation Cup, but this is Enyimba FC,” the coach said during the team’s final training in Nigeria. “For us, it’s a tough group and we have a chance of making it out but we have to do better than we’ve done in the league.
“That was why we came early to Uyo to prepare for the continental because we’re going to play on grass in Egypt and our ground in Aba is synthetic and the ball movement is quite different that was why we came here early and kudos to the management for bringing us here.”
