Pillars, Enyimba begin chase for continental glory

While Enyimba will be home to the Togolese top division side on Sunday, Pillars will today be guests to AS Vita Club who will be making their sixth appearance in the biggest African club competition since their first outing in 1998 when they crashed out in the first round.So, today is another great day of […]

While Enyimba will be home to the Togolese top division side on Sunday, Pillars will today be guests to AS Vita Club who will be making their sixth appearance in the biggest African club competition since their first outing in 1998 when they crashed out in the first round.
So, today is another great day of fierce soccer confrontation at the 80,000 capacity Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, as Pillars and their host clash in the first leg of the preliminary round of the 2014 Champions League.
One thing that would occupy the minds of Pillars players and coaching staff as they face AS Vita Club today is to make up for the dismay of being knocked out in the semi-final of the same competition in the 2009 edition by fellow Nigerian side Heartland FC of Owerri.
Then coached by Slovenian and Yugoslavian former football player, Ivo Sajh, Pillars lost the first leg of that encounter in Kano ended 1-0 while the reverse fixture was a 4-0 demolition of the Kano team.
In terms of quality, experience and strength, Pillars have a mixture of young and old players to do the battle. They could rely on the experience, determination and technical bench that is not lacking in depth to overcome their today’s opponents.
Apart from having an experienced bench, headed by former Enyimba sweat merchant Okey Emordi and Abdullahi Maikaba, Pillars boast of influential and talented players as goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai and Manir Ubale.
One thing that goes well with the Mesu Gida side is that none of their established stars have left the outfit, rather those that left some years ago like Bello Kofarmata, who scored the team’s winner in their only victory at the recently concluded Super Four in Abuja are back to the fold to add bite to the club’s attacking line as they hope to achieve their continental aspiration.
The club will also unleash youthful and tireless defender Abdullahi Shehu and midfield maestro Rabiu Ali, as well as old war horse Umar Zango, who all shone with the Super Eagles’ bronze-winning team at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa to overcome their Congolese opponents.
No doubt, the experience garnered by the trio at the 2014 CHAN would go a long way in boosting the club’s chances of excelling at the continental soccer championship.
Pillars also boast of one of the most prolific and potent attack line in the Nigerian local league, though they failed to prove that during the just ended Super Four Tournament in Abuja, they must release their arsenals against the DR Congo side whose best outing in continental soccer was in the 2009 CAF Confederations Cup when they were booted out in the group stage.
Their other continental appearances ended in the second round CAF Champions League campaign in 2004 and CAF Confederation Cup first round of 16 in 2008 and 2010.
But Pillars should also be wary of the Congolese side, as teams from the war-torn country have towering pedigree in African club football competitions, especially as they will be backed by a capacity crowd at the 80,000 capacity Stade des Martyrs.
In addition to Coach Abdullahi Maikaba, who has assured that Pillars will return from Democratic Republic of Congo with good result, Kano Pillars goalkeeper, Theophilus Afelokhai has described as advantageous his side’s first away fixture of the 2014 CAF Champions League, saying his side will fight hard for a favourable result at the Congolese side with the aim of finishing the battle in the reverse fixture in Kano.
“I think it’s an advantage playing our first CAF Champions League tie at AS Vita, we’re going there to vie for a positive result so that we can finish the job right here in Kano in the return leg.
“The first fixture at their backyard will help immensely to understand them better which will assist us to confront them when they visited.
“AS Vita are a strong side that’s why we’re not leaving any stone unturned to ensure we grab a decent result in Kinshasa,” said Pillars captain to supersport.com.
Afelokhai said the timely coming of the new manager, Okey Emordi has brought fresh air to his side’s programmes for the season.
“Yes, the coming of Emordi has brought some differences as well as seriousness among the players and a new direction to the side’s programmes.
“We’re ready to give our best to him as well as ourselves as the game is our career.
“The success or otherwise of the team will variously impact on our career, we have to team up to ensure the team succeed not only at the continent but at the domestic scene,” Afelokhai said.
For Enyimba Football Club of Aba, winners of the competition in 2003 and 2004, their last outing in the competition was in 2011 when they were bundled out of the annual competition by Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in the semi-final.
Tomorrow’s meeting at home against Anges de Notse FC of Togo will give the two-time winners an insight into how far they can go in the competition this year.
The Nigerian side kicked off their 2014 soccer season on a bright note by winning the 2014 Glo Nigeria Premier League Super Four Tournament held at the Abuja National Stadium last week.
Besides having in their fold experienced players like skipper Chinedu Udoji, Emeka Nwanna to go for their third title, Enyimba recently acquired the services of Zachary Baraje, who swapped position with Salisu Yusuf who has moved to El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri.
Baraje has garnered enough experience over the years, working with top Nigerian clubs to guide Enyimba to continental silverware this term.
Club captain Chinedu Udoji told SHOT! recently that his sight is set on the CAF Champions League and other soccer laurels this year, and we hope he will mobilise his colleagues to begin the campaign on a resounding note, so that the return leg in a fortnight at the Championnat National will be a mere formality.
With a scanty crowd behind them in the second leg, Anges de Notse FC, who are making their debut in the CAF Champions League this year, appears to be no headache to the Abba soccer lords.