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Enyimba Suffers a 1-0 Defeat Due to Olorunleke Ojo’s Costly Challenge against Wydad Casablanca in the African Football League
On Sunday, in the African Football League, a rash challenge by Enyimba’s goalkeeper, Olorunleke Ojo, resulted in a 1-0 loss for the Nigerian club against the visiting Moroccan team, Wydad Casablanca.
Enyimba’s Captain Ojo fouled Ayoub el Amloud, leading to a 39th-minute penalty. Wydad’s skipper, Yahya Jabrane, expertly converted the penalty to secure the victory in the quarter-final first leg, held in the southeastern city of Uyo.
Enyimba made a significant improvement in the second half, especially with the introduction of midfielder Ikenna Cooper. They came close to equalizing in the middle of the second half, with 16-year-old Daniel Daga showing promise.
However, in added time, Enyimba’s hopes were dashed as Alalibo Somiari committed a foul on Montasser Lahtimi, resulting in a red card after a VAR check. The team was reduced to 10 men.
Wydad will host the return match on Wednesday and are considered strong favorites to advance in the tie, potentially setting up a semi-final clash with either TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Tunisian side Esperance.
Wydad has established itself as a consistently strong performer in African football, having reached four of the last seven CAF Champions League finals and winning two.
In contrast, Enyimba, despite their back-to-back Champions League titles in 2003, has struggled to secure more African silverware and faced an early elimination this season in the preliminary qualifier.
Coach Finidi George, a 1995 UEFA Champions League winner with Ajax Amsterdam, faces a significant challenge in improving his team’s attacking performance, as they managed 20 attempts at goal but only one on target in this match.
A game full of tense, dedication and a lot of grinta đź’Ş#AFL | #CAF | #FIFA pic.twitter.com/8sYDsVR5YA
— African Football League (@afl_africa) October 22, 2023
Mazembe, a team boasting five African championships, overcame a tumultuous build-up to secure a narrow 1-0 victory against Esperance in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam.
The sole goal was netted by Malian Cheick Fofana in the 11th minute, as he powered a header into the six-yard box beyond the reach of goalkeeper Amanallah Memmich, who, like Fofana, is just 19 years old.
Mazembe, hailing from the southern city of Lubumbashi, had to relinquish their home advantage after Congolese customs officials denied entry to CAF equipment, a decision that left Mazembe officials incensed, believing it had reduced their chances of progressing to the semi-finals in this new competition.
In other first-leg matches, Simba of Tanzania managed a 2-2 draw at home against Al Ahly of Egypt on Friday, while South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns claimed a 2-0 victory over Petro Luanda of Angola on Saturday.
The African Football League (AFL) recently underwent a name change several months ago, transitioning from CAF Africa Super League, amid concerns that the original title might be linked to the failed 2021 attempt to establish a European Super League.
Initially designed as a 24-club, 197-fixture tournament culminating in a single-match final, it was scaled down to just eight teams, featuring three two-leg knockout rounds due to limited sponsorship. Prize money for the winners has also been significantly reduced, with the champions now set to pocket $4 million, which is $7.5 million less than originally planned.
