Nigeria Leagues
Africa Football League: ‘Enyimba is mentally ready for Wydad test’ – Olorunleke Ojo
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Enyimba captain Olorunleke Ojo is confident that his team is mentally ready for Sunday’s quarter-final first-leg clash of the maiden Africa Football League (AFL) with Moroccan giants, Wydad Casablanca.
The North Africans are known for their antics and tactics used in recent times to tame Nigerian clubs.
Ahly Benghazi of Libya edged Enyimba 3-2 on aggregate in the first preliminary round of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League.
With this in mind, the People’s Elephants shot-stopper feels the club is mentally fit to upstage the North African side.
“We are mentally ready. Everybody is in good shape in camp,” Ojo told journalists during the pre-match press conference.
“All the players are good to go. We are very ready. There are no issues that will distract us.
“We are privileged to represent the country and it is a good thing for us as a club and for the country. On our part, we have been training so hard to see that we represent well and give our all to see that we go through to the next stage.
“We weren’t happy that we lost out on the continent but this is a game of football that anything can happen. It was very painful stuff for us as an individual and as a team.
“We have put that being us. This is the bigger one and another opportunity for us to right our wrongs. We are very ready to face whatever is coming before us.”
Wydad Casablanca has won the CAF Champions League on three occasions while Enyimba FC has two titles to their name.
“We all know that they [Wydad Casablanca] are not a small club,” the Super Eagles goalkeeper continued.
“We are also not a small club. We are going to respect them just as they will respect us. We are going to go out to give our all.
“To score as many goals as we can because I believe the chances will come. Hopefully, I believe we will be able to at least make use of our chances. It’s not an impossible task.
“We can even score more than two goals but we can’t count two before one. We have to start from one and then continue as it comes. It’s an experience I have had. I have known the Akwa Ibom people on how they support their teams. It’s something that I am used to.
“Coming here again, I am feeling at home. I do not see it as a neutral ground for us. We are representing Nigeria and I don’t think we should see ourselves as not playing at home. I am very sure that they are going to give us the maximum support that we need. They are loving people.
“We have had some additions and I believe the players that came in are of high quality which I believe they will bring their experience and contribution to the team. It is not only the end of this tournament, we still have the league and many matches to play. We have the quality. All we just pray for is luck and the grace to function well. Once these two things are available, the rest will be history.”
This is the maiden edition of the AFL with eight clubs that have won the biggest African club competitions taking part.
Ojo cherishes the opportunity to be part of the first-ever Africa Football League.
“The Africa Football League is the biggest. We can’t compare it with the CAF Champions League. It means a lot being the first and go a long way,” he added.
“I am personally grateful to God that I am alive to be among the first participants from Nigeria. It’s a very big thing for me which I will live to appreciate for the rest of my life.”
