The African Football League (AFL) will make its way to the shores of Nigeria as Enyimba welcomes Wydad AC to Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Sunday, 22 October 2023.
As the reigning champions of the NPFL and also two-time winners of the CAF Champions League, Enyimba was selected to participate in the inaugural competition which comprises eight total teams.
𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐮𝐩
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄 #𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 #𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 pic.twitter.com/cvMcECoTVq
— Enyimba FC (@EnyimbaFC) October 19, 2023
Enyimba will travel to Morocco next Wednesday for the quarterfinal second leg and will be looking to finish the first leg at home with a good result.
The inaugural edition of the AFL is seen as a precursor to the full-fledged African Football League, which will bring together the top 24-ranked African football clubs beginning in the 2024/25 season.
This competition is expected to be a game-changer in the African football landscape, offering more exciting matchups for fans across the continent.
The need for an African Football League
The essence of holding this tournament is the huge financial returns. The AFL is projected to exceed $100 million which is to be used to develop and improve stadiums, infrastructure and the promotion of African football across the globe. It has an exciting prize money.
The AFL will be running alongside the usual CAF competitions and teams will be looking to win it and also try to win the other continental competitions still up for grabs this season.
Enyimba players talking tough ahead of Wydad AC clash
Speaking to the club's media team ahead of the first leg, some Enyimba players spoke with confidence about the encounter with the Moroccan team.
“We promise our fans we're going to do our best, the mentality in camp is very high, the confidence is very high and everyone is preparing to get a win on Sunday”, Izuogu Chibueze said.
“We are not just going to win, we are going to win in a big way and put smiles on the faces of our fans”, Joseph Atule added.
Enyimba form
Enyimba 3-2 Akwa United (15/10) – Nigeria Premier League
Gombe United 2-0 Enyimba (8/10) – Nigeria Premier League
Enyimba 0-0 Ahli Benghazi (27/08) – Champions League
Ahli Benghazi 4-3 Enyimba (20/08) – Champions League
Enyimba 1-1 Rivers United (11/06) – Nigeria Premier League
Wydad AC form
IR Tanger 0-3 Wydad AC (07/10) – Botola GNF1
Wydad AC 3-1 Zemamra (04/10) – Botola GNF1
Wydad AC 3-0 Hafia FC (30/09) – Champions League
RS Berkane 0-0 Wydad AC (24/09) – Botola GNF1
Wydad AC 1-0 JS Soualem (21/09) – Botola GNF1
Where to watch the match live
Football fans in Nigeria, Morocco and worldwide will be able to watch the match through BeIN Sports, the official Rights holder to the African Football League.
Another interesting news for football fans is that FIFA has announced that it will live stream the quarterfinal and other games in the competition through FIFA+.
The match kicks off at 7 pm on Sunday evening, with coverage starting one hour ahead of kick-off.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
