By : Chuks Ogbu
Football is a beautiful game; it is like biscuits, you never know where it will crack. Football is not like Mathematics where 1+1 is always = 2.
It is easy for one to sit at a place and predict the outcome of a football match, especially when the individual thinks he or she has seen it all.
The People’s Elephants, Enyimba Football Club of Nigeria may have lost the their CAF Champions league first round first leg match against El Merrikh SC of Sudan in Ondurman by a heavy 0-3 margin, the truth is that Enyimba FC only lost out in the battle, the war is still on.
Let me remind everyone that Enyimba FC (The People’s Elephants) have walked this path before and have encountered success previously.
During the 2010 CAF Confederations Cup first round first leg game away to Angolan outfit, Academica Do Soyo in Angola, Enyimba FC lost 0-2, many thought it was over, until the second leg in Aba Enyimba suprised many by beating Academica Do Soyo 3-0.
At the Second round of the Competition that same 2010, Enyimba FC Were up against AS Vita of DR Congo, in the First leg in Kinshasa Enyimba FC Were beaten 3-0, to many that’s the end of the road for the People’s Elephants especially with the fact that AS Vita is a very experienced side but the were shocked when in the second leg in Aba Enyimba FC overturned the scores and defeated AS Vita 3-0, and went ahead to win on penalties.
Enyimba FC can also draw inspiration from the Great Enugu Rangers team of the 1975 CAF Champions Cup, during their Semi Final game El Mahella of Egypt, a team that defeated Rangers 3-0 in Egypt and thought it was “over” only to be beaten 4-0 in Enugu, a match that has gone down in the history of Nigerian Football as “The Day Mahella Saw Wahala”.
If only the players, coaches and management can believe in themselves and get their acts right (which I believe the will) God willing I see no reason we will not celebrate another “Miracle Of Aba”.
Go on Enyimba! Go on The People’s Elephants! Go on The Pride of West Africa! You have done it before and you can do it Again.
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