Enyimba Fortunate To Reach Confederation Cup Group Stage – Olanrewaju.
Yemi Olanrewaju has admitted that Enyimba were fortunate to secure their place in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage, following a tense 3-2 penalty shootout victory against Burkina Faso’s Etoile Filante. The two-legged preliminary round contest ended 0-0, forcing the Nigerian champions to rely on penalties to advance.
Despite playing at home in the second leg at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Enyimba were unable to convert several clear chances during regulation time. Reflecting on the performance, Olanrewaju acknowledged the need for improvement as the team moves forward in the competition.
“I wish we could have ended the game before the penalties considering the chances we missed. We were lucky to escape, and we can’t go to the next stage like this,” he stated.
The Enyimba coach stressed that capitalising on opportunities will be crucial if they are to advance further. “If we are to progress to the quarter-finals, we must take our chances. There was a bit of anxiety from the lads, and they were in a hurry for everything,” Olanrewaju explained. “We were not calm in the final third. We are lucky to have scaled through and reached the group stage.”
With the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup looming, Enyimba will need to address their finishing woes if they hope to make a deep run in the competition. The victory, though hard-fought, highlights the determination of the team, but improvements will be necessary to ensure continued success.
