Posted by By EMMA NJOKU on
Nigeria and Cameroon extend the Bakassi Peninsula war this afternoon inside the Garroua Stadium in Cameroon, as Coton Sport FC host Enyimba International. Both sides fight-to-finish for tickets to the semi-final of this year's CAF Champions League.
• Enyimba vow to win battle of Garroua in Cameroon
Nigeria and Cameroon extend the Bakassi Peninsula war this afternoon inside the Garroua Stadium in Cameroon, as Coton Sport FC host Enyimba International. Both sides fight-to-finish for tickets to the semi-final of this year's CAF Champions League.
Coton Sport need victory to take their total points' haul in the group phase to 10 from the seven point they garnered from the previous five games they had played in the series.
Enyimba, who lead the group's table currently with nine points, will confirm their qualification for the semi-final with a draw from today's crunchy tie no matter the outcome of the second Group B fixture between Al Hilal FC and T.P. Mazembe of DR Congo billed for Khartoum in Sudan. Mazembe have seven points, while Al Hilal have five.
Although Enyimba look more comfortable than all the other teams in Group B following their 4-1 comprehensive defeat of Al Hilal on Monday, club Chairman, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, has declared total war against their host in today's match, stressing that Enyimba would not leave anything to chance.
'We are going to Cameroon to fight. There is nothing to celebrate yet because anything could happen in Sudan,' Anyansi said moments after Enyimba walloped Al Hilal 4-1 on Monday to shot to the top of Group B table with nine points.
He went on: 'One of my players, Steven Worgu, made a startling revelation to a reporter with MBI Television when he said that a player of Al Hilal told him on the pitch that Enyimba would not qualify for the semi-final, because they (Al Hilal) would concede victory to T.P. Mazembe in their last group match this weekend.
'That was a very serious threat. But I am happy that Worgu responded confidently by telling the player that Enyimba would not lose to Coton Sport in Cameroon. That no matter the situation, we are going to qualify for the semi-final. So, that response had summarised the spirit in Enyimba's camp.
'We expect a very explosive match against Coton Sport, because we are aware that they need victory to qualify for the semi-final. We know they will fight, but we will take the fight back to them. The players are well prepared physically, mentally and otherwise,' Anyansi added.
The most successful club boss in Nigeria, however, envisages frustrations from their hosts in today's encounter like what Enyimba allegedly went through in DR Congo, when they played against T.P. Mazembe. He, therefore, appeals to CAF to monitor the match to ensure fair play both on and off the pitch.
'We cannot control the Cameroonians in their country, so CAF should monitor the fixture to ensure that we play under a conducive atmosphere and not to pass through the kind of experience we had when we went to DR Congo for our match against T.P. Mazembe.
'However, no matter what happens, we will do everything to qualify for the semi-final. If we end up on top of the group's table, fine! But if we finish second, that will be okay provided we get to the semi-final. And after that, we then face the challenges of reaching the final like every other team that will qualify for the semi-final,' he reasoned.
Technical Adviser of the Aba People's Elephant, Maurice Cooreman, stated that his mission to Cameroon had remained to beat Coton Sport to ensure that Enyimba top the group table to forestall any ugly eventuality that might arise from the result of the match between Al Hilal and T.P. Mazembe in Sudan.
'Our mission to Cameroon is to win. Coton Sport and T.P. Mazembe have seven points each. Al Hilal have five points and we have nine, but we won't relax,' he said.
'If Al Hilal beat Mazembe at home, we must beat Coton Sport away. That is what I want to do. With victory against Coton Sport, we will be in the semi-final of the Championship,' the Belgian tactician said before Enyimba jetted out of the country for today's clash.
Cooreman banks on the tournament's leading goalscorer, Steven Worgu, to lead the assault against Coton Sport. Worgu maintained his 100 per cent scoring role with his 13th goal in Monday's tie against Al Hilal in Aba, which Enyimba won with an emphatic 4-1 score line.
Other players expected to do battle for Enyimba today include John Owoeri, as well as Emeka Akuemeh, both of who scored against Al Hilal too.
Captain Ajibade Omolade, Ugah Okpara and Elvis Kingsley, are expected to bring their respective wealth of experience to bear on the side of the People's Elephant, while goalkeeper, Sani Haliru, must avoid any loss of concentration today to avoid a repeat of the long-range shot he conceded in Monday's match against Al Hilal.
When Enyimba and Coton Sport met in the first leg fixture in Aba, it ended 2-0 in favour of the Aba Elephant. But the Cameroonians vowed to avenge the defeat in today's reverse fixture.
Enyimba have so far lost all their away fixtures in the group phase of this year's competitions. The two times champions conceded six goals in their two previous away games and scored two in the 3-2 loss to Al-Hilal in Sudan.
Will the Elephant crumble again today in Garroua or will they cut down Coton Sport in front of their home fans?