Enyimba Fc Coach, Fatai Osho has admitted that EL Meirreikh’s goalkeeper’s saves and reflexes stopped his side from scoring more goals in the return leg game in Aba on Wednesday, as his side were knocked out of the CAF Champions League final knockout stages.
Fatai Osho’s side, who were defeated 3-0 in the first leg were knocked out of the CAF Champions League on Wednesday after falling to a 4-2 defeat on aggregate to the El Meireikh, despite winning 2-1 yesterday in the return leg in Aba.
Enyimba were stunned at home by the Sudanese giants as early as the 5th minute of the game, when Saif Terry continued his torment on them, after scoring a hat trick in the first leg. The people’s elephant responded, with an equalizer from Mbaoma in the 14th minute. Mbaoma went on again to score in the 51st minutes of the game to give Enyimba the lead for the first time in the game, as they chased for more goals to see them through to the group stages of the CAF Champions League.
Enyimba continued to press for more goals, which would see them advance, but superb saves and reflexes from the Sudanese Shotstopper ensured that it remained 2-1 on the day and 4-2 on aggregate, which demoted the people’s Elephant to the second tier of the CAF Competition.
Speaking with Sports247, Coach of Enyimba Fc Fatai Osho, admitted that his side would have scored more goals in the encounter, if not for the brilliant saves of El Meireikh’s Shotstopper, as he commended the goalkeeping abilities of the amazing goalkeeper.
“When you look at the chances we created, it’s not as if we are didn’t play to score, it is just that the goalkeeper was superb in the game, he made a lot of saves that kept us out. You have to give it up for him, he had a lot of reflex saves, which prevented us from scoring more goals in the game. Looking at the statistics of the game, It shows we really played well but their goalkeeper had a good game”, he outlined.
Following the defeat on Wednesday, the Peoples Elephant will now play in the CAF Confederation Cup, while El Meireikh will play in the group stages of the CAF Champions League.
