The Sun News On-line

Coach Okey Emordi says the Home-based Eagles will take the fight to their Burkinabe counterparts tomorrow when both sides clash in Ouagadougou in the return leg of the Africa Nations Championship qualifying fixture.

The Nigerian team won the first leg encounter at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar a fortnight ago 2–0, and Emordi told Saturday Sunsport in a telephone chat before the team departed the shores of the country for tomorrow’s encounter that they were not going to Burkina Faso to defend the two goals, but to launch sporadic attack on their hosts. He, however, added that caution must be the watchword for his boys as the Burkinabes could cause some damage should Eagles leave their rear unguarded.

“We are not going to Burkina Faso to defend the two goals we scored against them in the first leg encounter a fortnight ago,” the former Enyimba International tactician declared. “We are going to attack them, though with caution, because the best form of defence is attack,” he added.

Emordi expects the host side to be on the offensive since they would strive to cancel the two goals deficit they conceded in the first leg in Calabar and possibly aim at getting the third goal to turn the table against the Eagles. He said he and his players had perfected their strategies to contain the Burkinabes in front of their home fans.

“We know they will come all out to cancel the two goals deficit they conceded in Calabar. However, we are ready to return attack for attack, though we won’t leave our rear unguarded,” he assured.
The former African Coach of the Year underlined the seriousness of tomorrow’s game by fortifying his team in both the attack and defence as well as in the midfield department.

The Burkinabes are likely to find the Nigerian defence difficult to penetrate tomorrow. This is because Coach Emordi is most likely to field the duo of Enyimba International rugged defender, Ugah Okpara and Nasarawa United’s no-nonsense one-eyed rear guard, Ogbonnaya Okemiri, both of who were not in the team that played in Calabar.

Okpara and Okemiri are not only veterans of continental battles, but also understand each other very well having played key roles in the Enyimba’s squad that won the CAF Champions League trophy in 2003 and 2004.

The coach also banks on the attacking trio of Wikki Tourists of Bauchi goal poacher, Ibrahim Babale, Sunshine Stars of Akure playmaker, Kabiru Alausa and fleet-footed David Tyavkase of Lobi Stars of Makurdi, who also boasts of a wealth of experience being in the Enyimba’s squad that lifted the CAF Champions League title twice.

The new entrants would complement the efforts of the other reliable players in the Home-based Eagles, prominent among them are gangling Enyimba International forward, Ezenwa Otorogu and goalkeeper, Akpan Bassey of Bayelsa United.