Nigeria’s CAF Champions League representatives Lobi Stars are back in the country after they were battered by South African side Mamelodi Sundowns in a game that sealed their elimination from the tournament on Saturday night.
The Nigerians conceded all three goals in the first half of their 3-0 loss to the South Africans and can no longer qualify from Group A despite having one more game to play this Saturday against ASEC Mimosas in Enugu.
“We conceded very early which changed the dynamics of the game. My boys lost concentration and committed silly errors leading to first and third goals.
“We are proud of how far we have come and we will take lessons from this game,” head coach Solomon Ogbeide said after the game.
The Pride of Benue have now arrived Nigeria after Saturday’s defeat. The team touched down at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja at about 11am on Monday and have since proceeded to Makurdi by road ahead of this Wednesday’s league game against MFM FC scheduled for the Aper Aku Stadium.
Lobi Stars due to their Champions League exigencies are second from bottom on the Group A log with five outstanding matches to play. One of the outstanding games is the Match Day 3 fixture against Group A leaders MFM in Makurdi.
MFM are three points clear at the top of their Group despite having two games in hand, one of which is Wednesday’s game. Lobi Stars will welcome back midfielder Alex Otakho for Wednesday’s game after he was suspended for the weekend’s encounter.
The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) will however resume fully after the election and mid-season breaks this weekend with ten Match Day 11 matches expected to hold across different centres.
