Enyimba head coach Fatai Osho has told www.aclsports.com that his side must be ready to compete with Egyptian side Pyramids when both sides meet at the quarter final stage of the Total CAF Confederation Cup.
Both sides were paired in the knockout stage draws conducted in Cairo on Friday afternoon with the Egyptians facing a Nigerian trip for the second season running.
Enyimba finished top of Group A after a last gasp winner against Orlando Pirates on Wednesday while Pyramids finished second in Group D behind the all conquering Raja Casablanca. Osho says the meeting was expected.
“It’s (the draw with Pyramids) something that we expected,” Osho told www.aclsports.com after Friday’s training session.
“As at the time we qualified, we knew we could only play three teams between Pyramids, CS Sfaxien and Cotonsport.
“We got Pyramids, finalists in the last edition, they’re no pushovers in African football. They have all it takes to compete very well but we have our targets too.”
While Enyimba have enjoyed a very good form at home this term both in the league and continental campaign, their away form have been uninspiring. The People’s Elephant lost all three away games in Group A but won all three home games
They first travel to Cairo to face Pyramids on May 16 before the second leg in Aba on May 23. Osho says his side must fancy their chance of progressing.
“No matter the quality of opposition we come up against, we want to fancy our chances because for us to be here, we denied some other teams the chances to be present here so we’ve got to compete and look at what and what we need to get results.
“I spoke to the players already and I told them that the journey has just started. We are in the quarter final and Enyimba is a household name in Africa and we can go all the way. I think they will compete so well to bring honours to the country,” said Osho.
Enyimba will return to domestic action on Sunday when they face Rivers United in a rescheduled Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 11 encounter in Port Harcourt.
