Nigeria’s Premier League side Warri Wolves arrived Kinshasa on Thursday to
keep a date with Congolese side MK Etancheite in the third round of the Caf
Confederation Cup. Warri Wolves take a slender 2-1 lead to Congo hoping to keep Nigeria’s interest alive in
continental club football this season.
Already Enyimba have been
eliminated from this year’s Champions League after they fell 2-1 on aggregate
to Egyptian side Smouha, while league champions, Kano Pillars did fare worse as
they crash out 5-2 on aggregate to Morocco side, Moghreb Tetouan.
Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt left the continent
in bizarre circumstances after they arrived late in Tunis to keep a date with Club Africane,
they were subsequently kicked out by Caf after the referee blew for a walk over.
Warri Wolves were riding high
at the Warri City Stadium when they ran into a 2-0 lead with minutes to go
against their Congolese opponent with both goals coming from Super Eagles
striker Gbolahan Salami, but the Congolese got a vital away goal through star
man, Mombo Lwamba. They still contrived to miss a penalty to level the scores
when the Seasiders, Warri Wolves were one goal ahead.
Although Warri Wolves posted
impressive away displays against Dedebit FC of Ethiopia
in the last round after a goalless draw in Addis Ababa following a 2-0 win in Warri.
Prior to the victory over the Ethiopians, Paul Aigbogun’s side had recorded a
1-0 away win over Burkinabe side RC Bobo-Dioulasso in the first round which
means the Seasiders are undefeated in two away matches on the continent.
However, the trip to Kinshasa is a different
proposition, and Aigbogun’s players face their toughest away fixture yet. And
if they pull this off, it would be one of the greatest achievements by any
Nigerian club side playing away from home.
The match comes up on
Saturday in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital, Kinshasa at the Tata Raphael Stadium. The
team’s attack will be led once again by Gbolahan Salami as well as Etebo
Oghenekaro and Freedom Omofonma who have both starred for Nigeria’s
Under-23 team.
Photo Credit: Google/Nigerian Football Federation
