Lobi Stars’ towering midfielder Kelly Kester Oahimije has told www.aclsports.com that his team are hoping to get a positive result when they face South African Champions Mamelodi Sundowns in a CAF Champions League game at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
Kester is returning to Pretoria for the first time since he featured for former Nigerian champions Enyimba in a 1-2 loss to Sundowns at this stage of the competition in June 2016 but he is hoping for a different fortune with his current side Lobi Stars.
“Saturday’s game is very crucial for us because the result will determine our progress or elimination in this stage so we are looking to get a very positive result,” Kester told www.aclsports.com on Friday morning from the team’s Hotel Moreno in Pretoria.
Lobi Stars should be without midfielder Alex Otakho Aghahowa for Saturday’s game due to card suspension following his booking against Wydad Casablanca in Rabat last month. That means that the Pride of Benue will be lining out the duo of Kester and Dare Ojo in the midfield.
Both players played full ninety minutes for Enyimba in that 2016 engagement at Sundowns with Ojo scoring the visitors’ only goal, a fierce volley from long range. 26-year old Kester insists the duo will not be advancing a personal agenda at the ‘Masterpieces’ but will be focused on getting a good result.
“That was 2016 with Enyimba, this is 2019 with Lobi Stars,” Kester said with a wry smile.
“I don’t think we will have any personal agenda, it will just be about being focused and helping our team get a positive result that will help us progress.
“We know the importance of this game and what’s at stake so we will give our best against Sundowns and hopefully in the end we’ll come out with a positive result,” said Kester.
Lobi Stars are currently bottom of Group A with four points from as many matches but are just three points adrift of joint leaders Wydad and Sundowns. Any result other than a defeat will hand Solomon Ogbeide’s side a good chance of progression ahead of their final group game next weekend.
Saturday’s game will kickoff at 9pm local time in Atteridgeville (8pm Nigerian time) and will be refereed by respected Zambian match official Janny Sikazwe.
