Enyimba Football Club of Aba have almost won available trophies in Africa but are longing for the Total CAF Confederation Cup that is yet to grace their impressive trophy cabinet.
Formed exactly 42 years ago, Enyimba were the first Nigerian club to win the CAF Champions League trophy in 2003 after 39 years of failure by several clubs in Nigeria including Rangers International of Enugu and Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan to win Africa's top club competition and they successfully defended the crown in 2004.
“As far as Enyimba is concerned, we have a very rich history both in Nigeria and Africa because we have won everything winnable,” Felix Anyansi-Agwu who is almost two-decades in charge of Enyimba as chairman told CAFOnline.com
” Between 2000 and now that I've been chairman, we have won the Nigeria Professional Football League title seven times and the Federation Cup four times aside many other trophies and even in years we failed to win something we had finished in second or third position in the league.”
Since their last continental conquest in 2004, Enyimba's best effort so far was 2011 but they were thumped in the semi-finals by Wydad Casablanca of Morocco after losing 1-0 away and drew goalless at home.
Now in its 15th edition, this is Enyimba's second campaign in the CAF Confederation Cup after they were eliminated by Zanaco of Zambia in the round preceding the group stage in 2010; but the new generation of players in the fold of the West African side are not oblivious about the challenges before them.
“We are very happy to reach the semi-final stage and this has been possible due to hard work and determination because we want to write our own history with Enyimba by winning the CAF Confederation Cup,” defender Ifeanyi Anaemena who joined Enyimba in 2014 told CAFOnline.com
“But we know we have to cross the semi-final hurdle against Raja Casablanca and we are not going to underrate them; our objective as a team is to win with a good margin in Aba before traveling for the second leg away match.”
Certainly, the People's Elephant will enjoy huge support against Raja in Aba on October 3 not least with assurance from Kalu Ogbonnaya who has been a die-hard follower of Enyimba since 1999.
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
