CAF Confederation Cup: Enyimba gored, humiliated on the road by Black Bulls

Enyimba suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to the Black Bulls of Mozambique in their third Group D game of the CAF Confederation Cup held at Estádio do Zimpeto on Sunday.

The People’s Elephant entered the contest without a win in their group, having lost and drawn their first two games.

Looking to register their first win of the competition this season, Enyimba started poorly, allowing the opposition to dictate the play and pace of the game.

The lack of initiative from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side was punished in the 17th minute when Rume Akporoh opened the scoring for the Maputo side. Fidel Helder de Sousa and Ayuba Francis Abubakar completed the rout for the Bulls in the second half.

Enyimba’s poor management planning: A key factor in their poor run of results

Prior to Enyimba’s trip to Mozambique, Coach Yemi Olarenwaju was full of optimism about the club’s performance.

Enyimba’s performances have cooled in recent weeks after a blistering start to the season, raising several concerns among the fanbase.

However, the coach, through his social media page, took responsibility for the inconsistent results and promised to rectify the situation soon.

“Nobody cares how well you are playing when the results are not most favourable. We have dominated most games this season, creating multiple chances but failing to convert them. As the head, I take full responsibility and I know we will get it right soon.”

Nonetheless, their journey to Mozambique was characterised by poor planning by the club’s management, as two of their players – Austin Onyemaechi and Chukwudi Nwaodu – were said to have arrived in Maputo one hour before kickoff and still got the nod to play the last 30 minutes of the encounter.

Next up for Enyimba in this competition

Ahead of matchday 4, the two-time CAF Champions League winners sit bottom of their group, with Egyptian giants Zamalek leading the chase for the top spot.

They will welcome the Black Bulls to the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on 5 January 2025, as they aim to get their campaign back on track with three games remaining.