Nigerian side Enyimba hammered Rwanda side Rayon Sports 5-1 at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba on Sunday to progress through to the semi-final of the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup.
Both teams played out a wasteful 0-0 draw in the quarter-final first leg clash in Kigali a week ago but the return leg produced a free-scoring performance for the hosts who, before Sunday were yet to score two goals in a game in the past three months.
Enyimba left no one in doubt as to what their aspirations for the game were as they made incursions into their opponent’s penalty area early on. It was then no surprise when left winger Stanley Dimgba scored the game’s curtain raiser in the 12th minute when he profited from a defensive blunder to calmly slot beyond Rayon goalkeeper Abouba Bashunga.
While the hosts continued to enjoy possession, they were stunned in the 25th minute when top marksman Bonfilscaleb Bimenyimana latched onto a square pass from the left flank to glide home at Theophilus Afelokhai’s near post.
Nigeria Under-20 captain Ikouwem Udo Utin ensured the Rwandans’ joy was short-lived when he persevered to restore Enyimba’s lead four minutes later, his effort taking a mild deflection on its way home.
With the game delicately poised at half time, the People’s Elephant doused their fans’ growing apprehension by scoring a third, just three minutes after the break. Dimgba this time worked his socks off, leaving Sunday Adetunji with a simple task of scoring his first goal for the club.
If the third goal was not enough for insurance, the two-time CAF Champions League winners further pulled away from their visitors on the hour mark when Joseph Osadiaye’s free kick took a deflection to wrong foot Bashunga into the net. 4-1
There was still enough time however for Enyimba to add gloss to the scoreline when defender Isiaka Oladuntoye headed home from close range after Bashunga spilled Osadiaye’s effort with ten minutes left on the clock.
The result sealed Enyimba’s most comprehensive aggregate result on the continent in fourteen years and will now face Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca in the semi-final, with the first leg to hold in Aba on Wednesday, October 3.
