Enyimba returned to winning ways in the CAF Confederation Cup yesterday when they defeated Algeria’s Entente Setif 2-1 at the Aba Township Stadium.
The win did not come easy as the Peoples Elephant had to fight from one goal down to subdue the 1988 African champions.
Having lost their last game against Orlando Pirates in South Africa, Enyimba needed the win to rekindle their quest for a first Confederation Cup title.
Enyimba, which won the 2003 and 2004 CAF Champions League titles, have yet to win the Confederation Cup.
Yesterday’s win took Enyimba to the top of Group A for the moment pending the outcome of Pirates clash with Al Ahli Benghazi in Omdurman.
Enyimba made four changes to the team that lost 1-2 to Pirates, with Tosin Omoyele replacing Victor Mboama in attack and Dayo Ojo taking over from Anthony Omaka in midfield, just as Abiodun Adedayo came in for Hassan Abubakar at the heart of the defence with Emmanuel Ampiah replacing Imo Ibot at left-back.
Setif, which defeated Iwuanyanwu Nationale in the final of the 1988 CAF Champions league, took the lead against Enyimba in the 13th minute with Monsef Bakrar tapping into an empty net after John Noble in goal for Enyimba, had been eliminated by a slick exchange of passes.
Enyimba squandered the opportunity to get even when Austin Oladapo’s penalty kick was saved by Sofiane Khedairia a few minutes after Bakrar’s strike. Enyimba got the penalty when Ojo was brought down in the box.
The penalty miss brought out the beast in the Aba boys with Nelson Ogbonnaya’s header hitting the upright shortly after, just as Tosin Omoyele was unlucky not to have scored from an Anayo Iwuala assist.
Oladapo got the equaliser with a left footed shot to send the Aba crowd to cloud nine.
Enyimba completed the turn around in in the 60th minute when Super Eagles star, Iwuala, fed Omoyele, who beat an onrushing Khedairia for the win.
