August, 18 2023.
A thirty-man (30) contingent of players, coaches and team officials of Enyimba International FC of Aba are due to depart the shores of the country today, for the Libyan city of Benghazi, ahead of their 2023/24 CAF Champions League first leg, first preliminary round tie at the Martyrs of February Stadium, on Saturday.
The contingent, comprising twenty-two (22) players, including new captain and goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo and eight coaching and support staff are expected to depart Lagos this morning for encounter.
Preparatory to their trip to Lagos, Coach Finidi George and his men, fine-tuned their preparation by engaging FC ONE Rocket of Abat, and some other local sides in a series of friendly matches in Uyo and had a brief stop over in Asaba, Delta State.
Enyimba has record nine-time Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Champions, are also twice Champions of the coveted CAF Champions League, which they won back-to-back in 2003 and 2004, www.ckdmedia.ng reports.
The Aba People's Elephant under a new board chairmanship of Kanu Nwankwo, announced on Wednesday that they have signed a multi-year shirt deal with Australian Crypto Company 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙆𝙀.com
Aside having nine league titles under their belt, Enyimba are also four-time winners of the domestic cup and rightly prides themselves as the biggest and most supported football club in Nigeria, being that no other side, before or after them have been able to win the once elusive Sekou Touré Cup, later renamed CAF Champions League.
Nigeria's other representative in the elitist continental championship is Remo Stars of Ikenne, and they are away to Ghana Premier League Champions, Medeama SC in Cape Coast on Sunday.
The Sky-Blues of Ikenne are due to fly a chartered aircraft on Saturday, to arrive in Cape Coast some 24 hours, before the match which pits the two sides, who are making their debut in the competition.
Meanwhile, the Edo State government has urged residents of Benin and adjoining settlements, to come out en-mass on Saturday, to cheer their darling team, Bendel Insurance FC to victory in their first leg, first preliminary round, of the CAF Confederation Cup fixture against Association Sportive Olympique de Chlef (ASO Chlef) of Algeria.
To ensure total support for the team which is returning to continental football after a 34-year hiatus, Governor Godwin Obaseki has approved that free entry tickets, to be given to residents to watch the match at the 15,000 capacity Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, in Benin City.
The Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission Mr. Yusuf Alli who disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday said the match scheduled for Saturday August 19, 2023 will kick off at 4pm.
Alli also said free buses would be available at ten (10) locations in Benin City, to convey residents to and from the stadium starting from 12 Noon and the first 100 supporters at the stadium would be rewarded with free jerseys.
Bendel Insurance will travel to Algeria for the decisive second leg fixture to be played on August 27, 2023 at the 18,000-capacity Mohamed Boumezrag Stadium in the city of Chlef, Algeria.
Nigeria's other team in CAF's second tier Interclub competition, Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt are drawn-bye, and will only enter the CAF Confederation Cup at the second preliminary round stage.
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