The Sun News On-line

Enyimba will have to put aside their nail-biting 3–2 loss to El-Hilal of Sudan in their first group game of this year’s CAF Champions League when they host Cameroon’s Coton Sport in Aba today.

The Aba side, which enjoyed relative success throughout the preliminary rounds of the competition, felt that they didn’t deserve the defeat they suffered in Khartoum in the hands of El-Hilal two weeks ago. And like wounded lions, they have vowed to vent their anger on their next opponents, which happen to be Coton Sport.

Certainly, the 2003 and 2004 champions would be looking to change their position on the log as quickly as possible, and today's game would be a good opportunity to start the move.
Coton Sport, meanwhile, are featuring in their first-ever group phase in the championship, and have quickly shed their surprised package status to become a real threat.

Coached by young Frenchman, Denis Lavagne, Coton Sport weathered a difficult preliminary phase to earn their place in the last eight and became the third Cameroonian club, after Sable Batie and Canon Yaounde, to reach the group phase of the competition last won by the Central African nation in 1980, when Canon overcame Bilima of the Democratic Republic of Congo to cart away the trophy.
They secured a lone goal win over TP Mazembe a fortnight ago to share three points with Group B leaders, El-Hilal.

Enyimba, one of the three clubs to have successfully defended the Champions League title, are expected to come out victorious after today's game. But as their Technical Adviser, Maurice Cooreman had put it: “No team will be underrated in Aba.”
The People’s Elephant have scored at least three goals in all their home games so far in this year’s competition and they will be looking to extend the 22 goals they have scored in seven games. And with the death of their goalkeeper trainer, Ifeanyi Okeke, the players could be spurred to win convincingly in memory of the late coach.

Stephen Worgu, who is currently the highest goal scorer in this year’s Champions League, having scored 10 goals in six games, will have another opportunity to increase his goals tally only if he is capable of replicating the form he displayed in Khartoum two weeks ago where he, not only scored his 10th goal in the competition, but also shone like a million stars.
Speaking ahead of today’s encounter, Enyimba’s Media Officer, Tonex Chukwu, told Goalnigeria.com that the three points at stake in the match would be non negotiable, even as they would score plenty of goals to calm the nerves of their teaming supporters, who are still ruing the defeat the team suffered in Sudan a fortnight ago.

“We are in top shape for this weekend’s encounter with Coton Sport. We are like wounded lions after the defeat in Khartoum and the Cameroonians will be used as the sacrificial lamb to calm the frayed nerves of our supporters,” Chukwu said early in the week.
He reminded further that: “Enyimba are currently the highest scoring side in the competition with the leading goal scorer on our side. All these would be put into full use in the match against the Cameroonian team. All we are asking our fans is their patience, prayers and total support for us to annihilate the visitors.”

Meanwhile, referees for the match will come from Seychelles, with Maillet Eddy Allen at the center, while Damoo Jason and Spiro Walter-Wills will run the lines as his assistants. Andre Jacques will act as the reserve referee. Chadian Mahamat Issa is the match commissioner and Ghanaian Anthony Baffoe will act as the general coordinator of the match.
However, recently appointed goalkeeper trainer of Enyimba, Ike Shorunmu, has expressed confidence in the club's ability to secure an emphatic victory against Coton Sports. He said that the loss to El-Hilal was a temporary set back. He further pointed out that the Aba side had the character to forge ahead to record the desired victory in today’s encounter.

"We shouldn't have lost the game against El-Hilal. The Sudanese were lucky to have picked the three points at stake. We played well for most part of the game and kept them on the back foot, but they got an equaliser just before half time, which seemed to have changed the game and eventually turned it in their favour for most parts of the second half.

"We will host Coton Sport this Sunday (today) and we will be going for victory. We have come this far in this competition and will show that we deserve to win the trophy," the former Super Eagles’ safe hands said during the week.
"That nothing went right for us two weeks ago in Khartoum doesn't mean that our Champions League campaign is over. I am sure we will give our fans a good game against Cotton Sport and from there, we will continue on a winning note in the remaining games in the competition," Shorunmu added.