Enyimba FC and Orlando Pirates will battle for a berth in the quarterfinals of the CAF Confederation Cup when they meet in their final Group A match, slated for the Enyimba Stadium in Aba on Wednesday evening.
Kick-Off is at 2100hrs GMT (0000hrs EAT)
Enyimba, who are two-time African champions, are condemned to win to ensure qualification for the last eight this term while Pirates need to avoid a heavy defeat to progress through to the knockout rounds.
The Peoples Elephants come into the match after suffering back-to-back defeats on their travels to North Africa where they lost to Al-Ahly Benghazi and ES Setif.
Pirates, on the other hand, remain the only unbeaten side in Group A, drawing on their travels and falling just two points of a maximum tally in their own backyard.
The Buccaneers stole all three points in Soweto over a month ago and will have their work cut out against the Elephants.
Enyimba have won their last four CAF home matches, all by one-goal margins, and a 1-0 win victory will ensure they finish above Pirates on head-to-head record, and progress.
Entente Setif also still have the chance of advancing as runners-up behind Pirates should the Soweto giants beat Enyimba and the Algerian Ligue 1 side beat the unpredictable Libyan side Ahly.
Enyimba’s coach Fatai Osho is optimistic of his team chances of making it to the knockout stages, despite the Nigerian giants sitting in third place.
“Every team in the group should be under pressure because every other team in the group still has a healthy chance of qualification, so you don’t go to sleep at all because you know you have to work hard on the last day to earn your qualification. So that shows every team will be up and doing, and that’s a tremendous pressure when you are four and two have to go,” Osho told Enyimba website.
Wednesday night matches:
